End of Traditional Dray?

The haulage companies that deliver drinks to customers are not the only area of the transport industry experiencing changes. Vehicle Contract Hire and Fleet Management firm Prohire has noted a shift in the type of vehicles operators are choosing as the rise in off-trade volumes continues.

 

“We have seen a move away from the type of traditional heavy dray transport that was predominately used to handle kegs towards vehicles with a reduced GVW and a more compact body, while tail-lifts are increasingly seen as a better option than vehicles with a low chassis height,” says Sales and Marketing Director Andrew Morley.

 

He adds that the emergence of more convenience stores in recent years has also affected the industry and led to the demand for more frequent deliveries of smaller loads.

 

Manchester-based Prohire client, LWC Drinks Wholesale Service, which makes same-day deliveries to around 6,000 customers nationwide, says it has had to change its fleet as drinking habits have evolved.

 

“We have now less need for 26-tonne lorries, so Prohire provides us with more 7.5 to 11-tonne trucks,” says Ebrahim Mukadam. “The latest additions to our fleets were 14-tonne vehicles with tail-lifts to allow easy loading and unloading.”

 

The Hard Truth About Vehicle Testing

Figures recently released by VOSA may show a rise in HGV annual test pass rates, but far too many of the lorries and commercial vans in operation in Britain today are below the general roadworthiness expected by VOSA.

That’s the view of Paul Hassall, operations director of Stoke-on-Trent-based commercial vehicle contract hire and fleet management specialist, Prohire Plc.

Paul Hassall comments: “According to VOSA’s latest figures 77.6 per cent of HGVs pass their annual test. The figure is up on previous years, which is encouraging, but it highlights that a sizable minority of vehicles still fail.

He continues: “The situation with commercial vans is even more alarming. A recent survey by the FTA showed that the first time MOT failure rate for 3.5 tonne vans was nearly 50 per cent.”

Paul Hassall contends that HGV and commercial van operators who fail to maintain their vehicles to the required standards are not only putting their ‘O’ license at risk but are costing their business money.

He says: “Not undertaking regular vehicle maintenance is a false economy. Quite simply, lorries and vans that are not properly looked-after will break down and fail their MOT. And the cost of repairing a fault is invariably more than that of carrying out an ongoing maintenance regime.

“VOSA is also putting more weight behind its ‘O’ license compliance schemes and any vehicle fleet operators whose vehicles routinely fail their MoT are likely to find their business under close scrutiny.”

 Prohire’s fleet of commercial vans, HGVs and trailers has one of the highest annual test pass rates in the industry. In the 12 months to the end of September 2013, 99.7 per cent of the company’s on-hire fleet passed its annual test via its network of National Service Providers

“As part of our service to clients our engineers undertake regular routine maintenance programmes which flag up any issues before they become too serious, as well as periodic safety inspections on vans” says Paul Hassall.

“This gives our clients the peace of mind of knowing that their fleets are roadworthy and will not let them – or their customers – down.”

Prohire Plc announce RH Rentals Acquisition

PRESS RELEASE

October 2013

Independently-owned commercial vehicle contract hire and fleet management specialist, Prohire Plc, has announced the acquisition of the capital assets and business of Nottingham-based RH Rentals for an undisclosed sum.

The RH Rentals operation will be fully integrated within the Prohire business and, to ensure RH’s customers experience a seamless transition, the migration of the company’s existing client contract base will be overseen by the Prohire Senior Management and customer support teams.

David Barlow, chairman and chief executive officer of Prohire Plc, commented: “RH Rentals has a significant rental and contract hire commercial vehicle fleet which is a perfect complement to Prohire’s. The RH fleet includes rigid vehicles, tractor units and vans and these will be added to the range of vehicles available from Prohire to further enhance our offering to the commercial vehicle sector.”

“I would like to thank Paul Jacques, our Group Financial Director, who headed up the acquisition along with the senior management teams of both Prohire and RH Rentals for their professionalism and cooperation throughout the acquisition process.”

Prohire will further increase its fleet size by placing a significant order for new commercial vehicles over the coming weeks.

www.prohire.plc.uk

ENDS

ABOUT Prohire Plc:

Established in 1997, Prohire provides specialist contract hire, accident management and fleet management solutions to commercial vehicle operators throughout the UK and Ireland. The company has expanded through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth.

Media Contacts:                                                 Company Contact:

Lloyd Arkill                                                            Andrew Morley
Arkill Matthews Allen Ltd                                      Prohire Plc
Tel: +44 (0)1923 777897                                     Tel: +44 (0) 8432 909 089
Mobile:  +44 (0) 7903 809127                              Mobile: + 44 (0) 7850 493646
Email: info@am–pr.net                                        Email: andrewmorley@prohire.plc.uk