Sainsbury's has used its economic muscle to secure a better deal on new equipment for contractor Turners (Soham) on its fuel distribution contract.
The new kit includes 46 Scania P-cab pet-reg 6x2 tractors, along with 23 Innovator aluminium tankers from Lakeland Tankers, and 23 South African-built GRW tankers.
A spokesman for the supermarket revealed that it used its "economies of scale" to gain a more competitive deal for the leased equipment.
Gary King, engineering controller at Sainsbury's, says Scania offered the best deal and has a better pet-reg servicing network. The supermarket will also subcontract servicing and maintenance on the trucks and trailers to Scania in order to keep "better control over costs".
The tractor units, leased over 42 months, will be triple-shifted seven days a week and will clock up more than 200,000km annually.
"The fleet is the optimum size to start the contract although it will be reviewed. The [fleet] order was split between trailer manufacturers because of the lead times; no one could have built 46 in the time frame required," King says.
The deal with Lakeland Tankers, the UK's only manufacturer of fuel tankers, is its first with the supermarket and worth £1.5m.
The trailers have a 42,800-litre capacity with six compartments, and a 5.5-tonne kerb weight. They are specced with gravity discharge, BPW axles and suspension, and drum brakes.
Paul Day, managing directors of Turners (Soham), says the company will deliver from 10 fuel terminals to more than 250 stores across mainland Britain on behalf of Greenergy.
Day confirms that no job losses were sustained during the transfer of the contract from BP to Greenergy.
Image: Andy Lauwers/Rex Features
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