Gulliver's supply 66 DAF 105s to Travis Perkins Wickes

Bristol-based truck and van rental company Gulliver's has ordered 66 DAF 105 tractor units to service a three-year contract hire deal with construction merchants Travis Perkins.

The deal means Gulliver's will have spent £40m during its current financial year on rolling stock, which ends April 2011, says sales director Neil Jeremiah.

All the vehicles have been ordered through DAF dealer Watts Truck & Van in Cardiff.

Jeremiah says the vehicles will be located across the UK with repair and maintenance on the vehicles carried out by local DAF dealerships.

"We have supplied Travis Perkins with vehicles for the last 15 years," he says. "The trucks will be on trunking work covering 180,000km annually."

One of the vehicles will be painted silver, and fitted with a Super Space Cab with top of the range specification. "This truck will be used as a reward for the 'Driver of the Month'. It will be moved around each month to the driver with the best fuel efficiency and performance," he says.

Gulliver's runs a 3,000-strong fleet, of which a third is tractor units. There is another deal for 200 Renault Premium 6x2 tractors with the 460hp engine due as well as orders for refuse vehicles.

"We have hit the ground running in 2011; there are more opportunities [in the market] with less [rental] players. Rental seems a good option as there is a lack of funding for operators in the marketplace," he adds.