London-based food distributor Leathams has sourced a mixed-weight fleet of new DAF rigid vehicles from Ryder, a leading independent provider of commercial vehicle contract hire, rental, and maintenance services.
The new fleet comprises of DAF LF230 18-tonne rigids, DAF LF180 12-tonne rigids, and DAF LF150 7.5 tonners and will replace some of the old fleet, delivering frozen and chilled foods, six days a week to customers located in and around the M25.
Leathams’ core customer base within London is predominantly non-retail, but the business also delivers to some well-known small chains and independents.
“Within the M25, we deliver to some of London’s well-known cafes, restaurants, and pubs. On average, the new vehicles will each make between 20 and 30 drops a day, with deliveries ranging in size from a box up to a pallet,” said Mark Ballard, Operations Director at Leathams.
“The mileage these vehicles will do, won’t be particularly high because they’re only travelling within the M25, but the number of hours worked will be significant,” said Ballard.
Due to the amount of idling Leathams’ vehicles do when sitting in congested London traffic, Leathams requested a specialist eco-friendly fridge from Carrier for all of the vehicles.
“We wanted a fridge that would achieve maximum chilling, even when stationary. With traffic in London often at a standstill, the fridge must be able to perform efficiently, even at very low rpm,” explained Ballard.
Ryder responded to Leathams’ requirements and suggested the Carrier Transicold Pulsor multi-temperature fridge unit, which is specifically designed for retaining temperature in urban environments.
The truck bodies were built by Solomon Commercials and feature dual-compartment fridge/freezers. The new vehicles are also fitted with a telematics system from SevenEye that tracks temperature and door openings, and will carry Leathams’ eye-catching brand livery for easy recognition on the busy streets of London.
“We chose DAF again because of the reliability of their products and the high spec that you get from them as standard. Vehicle up-time is extremely important to our business, so being able to get parts at short notice to keep our fleet on the road is critical,” said Ballard.
The fleet composition also reflects the fact that Leathams’ workload has increased significantly. “First, we are operating more efficiently than we were seven years ago, when we took on the previous fleet, and we’ve also increased the number of 12-tonne vehicles this time. We’ve found that our load is getting heavier, so it’s more efficient for us to have bigger vehicles,” said Ballard.
The fleet replacement coincides with Leathams and Ryder celebrating a 30-year partnership in 2018, which Ballard puts down to Ryder’s strong understanding of Leathams’ high standards.
“Ryder has always shared our core values and provided outstanding customer service and a great product at a competitive price.
“Leathams is extremely happy to be celebrating 30 years in partnership with Ryder, and we look forward to the next stages of our relationship.”
Jon Gordon, Ryder Area Sales Manager, said: “We are delighted to continue to build on the strong relationship we have with Leathams. We understand the daily operational demands of its business model, so it’s not just about providing the right vehicles, but the ongoing service and support as well.”
