A new drawbar combination is saving Suma Wholefoods costs by cutting wasted mileage and reducing its reliance on subcontractors.
The company sends the Daf CF85 410 6x2 prime mover with its combined fridge and curtainsider body, and the curtainsider trailer, to London from Monday to Wednesday before heading to the South-West from Thursday to Saturday.
Paul Sharpe, distribution coordinator, is the driving force behind the purchase of the new vehicle.
He says: "In the South-West, we would normally use subcontractors, but now we can do the deliveries ourselves and provide better customer service," he says.
The truck was financed through Daf dealership F&G Commercials on a three-year deal with a repair and maintenance package, with the bodywork and trailer built by Wakefield-based Micra Truck Bodies.
Its dual-compartment fridge/curtainsided body also has bi-fold doors, so the entire combination can be loaded straight through from a dock leveller.
Sharpe says the company is due to replace more vehicles next year. With four trucks heading to Wales each week and two more to Scotland, he has not ruled out further drawbar additions to the fleet.
Suma Wholefoods has an exclusively Daf fleet made up of 13 18-tonners and two 7.5-tonne trucks. It delivers vegetarian, fair trade, organic, ethical and natural products across mainland Britain from its base in Elland, West Yorkshire.
Related used vehicles for sale
