DAF dealer MOTUS Commercials has managed to co-ordinate a project to provide the NHS Blood and Transplant service with eight specialist blood product transport trucks in just two weeks. The DAF LF 180 rigids are needed to support the urgent Covid-19 frontline blood plasma trials. Despite the current staff shortages, a number of third-party suppliers, including Solomon Commercials, who provided the dual-temperature bodies, Thermo King, Webasto, Fleet Trak and sign-writers AST, managed to reallocate the trucks, originally scheduled for routine blood transport, to their new frontline role.
NHSBT’s national fleet engineering manager John Lowden, said, “We are extremely impressed with the response from MOTUS and DAF, and all the companies involved in this true team effort. We’ve seen the transport industry rise to the challenge of the coronavirus outbreak over recent weeks and, here at NHBT, we’ve experienced British skill and ingenuity at its very best, and right at the moment when it’s needed most.”
For MOTUS, truck sales coordinator Jim Locket, who oversaw the project, added “I received an email from NHSBT just two weeks ago requesting these vehicles as soon as possible, due to the commencement of blood plasma trials. We then made this order a top priority, organising the essential ancillary equipment and sign-writers and ensuring they carry out their work as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“I’m really pleased to have delivered the eight complete DAF LF trucks to NHSBT in such a short space of time, making the long hours worthwhile to know that we’re helping such an important cause. I’m proud of all involved at our Stoke dealership, as well as our external suppliers too.”
