NHS Supply Chain, which is operated by DHL, has begun taking delivery of 120 new Dafs from dealer Ford and Slater in Leicester as part of its fleet renewal programme. The new equipment includes 49 Daf LF 14-tonne rigids, 50 Daf CF 18-tonners, 16 Daf CF drawbar units, five Daf CF 6x2 tractors and 19 new Gray and Adams trailers including three double-decks.
DHL will manage the day-to-day operation of the fleet through its central maintenance control facility in Manchester and the vehicles will be introduced over the next few months across NHS Supply Chain’s seven UK locations. The trucks all come with Daf MultiSupport compliance contracts, covering vehicle servicing, tachograph calibration, MoT inspection/certification and legal inspections.
They feature birds-eye view 360° camera systems, near side detection systems for vulnerable road-users, left turn audible warning systems, four-camera monitoring systems and front/rear proximity warning systems.
NHS Supply Chain is operated by DHL and managed by the NHS Business Services Authority, providing more than 300,000 products to 1,000 different customers. DHL recently extended its contract for a further two years until October 2018. Tim Slater, CEO at NHS Supply Chain, said: “Our investment in the new vehicle fleet reinforces our commitment to deliver a great service with vastly increased safety and environmental credentials.”
