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Chilled Chiltern
Wednesday 10th February 2016
Peterborough-based Chiltern Cold Storage is growing rapidly yet believes drivers are the most valued part of its operation, which is why the haulier uses decent trucks.
Chiltern Cold Storage’s white and blue livery simply personifies the theory that simplicity can be key. It’s subtle but attractive. It does the job. But it also looks good on the company’s entire fleet, which is helped by the company’s philosophy of keeping its trucks clean – not always easy with white and certainly a challenge with British winters.
While Chiltern runs a mixed fleet, MD Paul Jackson is fast becoming a convert when it comes to the Iveco Stralis. “We had our first one about three years ago and the Italian trucks have proved very reliable. Now I’ve got 14! I’ll keep buying them.”
He says Chiltern has never been 100% committed to one marque and today his fleet comprises Mercedes-Benz and Iveco, with one Scania and a couple of Volvos thrown into the mix. The full fleet breakdown is 14 Iveco Stralis Hi-Ways, two FH500s, seven Actros 2545 MegaSpaces, five Mk 3 Actros 2544s, a solitary 4x2 1851 Actros GigaSpace and a Scania R490.
Fantastic value
“They are fantastic value,” he says, “and are a good 25% less cost to lease than other marques. We acquire them on a fixed lease so we get all the maintenance paid for. We just pay for tyres and tax,” which means he knows exactly what he is paying for in the life of the truck. “Breakdowns are covered, parts are covered,” he adds.
“The Euro 6 versions are better than the Euro 5s. Iveco has improved the engine-gearbox dynamic and we are getting better fuel consumption.”
The company’s sole 480 Stralis is giving 10.6mpg, while the rest of the fleet, all 460s, are all achieving over 10mpg. “The Volvos are close to that, but the Mercedes and Scania are not quite as good, returning figures in the mid 9s per gallon.”
The Ivecos have “everything there, in the right place. The build quality is very good – the old rattles and bangs are just not present any more. You get a lot of truck for your money”.
The oldest is a 13-plate, now with 450,000km on it and due to be returned in June. “We’ve had no bother with it at all,” says Paul, who highlights how hard-worked the trucks are.
Chiltern operates in the frozen, chilled, ambient and pharmaceutical goods market. “We undertake lots of deliveries to airports,” says Paul.
“All the snacks and drinks you enjoy on a flight from the UK, we’ll have most likely delivered them.”
That means the company’s entire trailer fleet of 35 units is fridges, apart from five Tautliners added recently for a contract delivering cardboard.
Trailers bought outright
“The trailers are bought outright. I like Gray & Adams with Thermo King fridge units. We do have some rental Schmitz Cargobull trailers to boost the fleet as needed. They’re lighter but not quite as durable,” says Paul.
The company covers the whole of the UK and has some European work. “We have regular runs to Switzerland and Milan in Italy,” says Paul, “which are covered by the Merc 1851. That’s why it is the only 4x2 in the fleet.”
On the immigrant crisis affecting so many drivers as they pass through Calais, Paul says: “Our drivers are not allowed to stop within 80km of Calais and we are now using ferries instead of the tunnel, which is a pain as the Eurotunnel shuttle is so convenient.
“Admittedly, illegal immigrants getting in our trucks is less of an issue as they see the trailer is a fridge and so are much less likely to try and get inside, but that does not stop them trying to strap themselves to the underframe of the trailer.”
UK-wise, the company’s trucks travel far and wide, with regular runs to Cornwall and Scotland. “We have a depot in Livingston and we’re looking for one in the Taunton area.”
There are about 60 drivers on the books, as some of the trucks are double-shifted to maximise utilisation. “We try not to use agency drivers if we can at all avoid it. It’s one driver per truck and also one truck with the same trailer, although this is getting harder to justify.”
The driver pool is a mix of locals and Eastern Europeans, the latter making up about 40% of the workforce.
“We don’t distinguish. It is the quality of the driver that means the most to me.”
Chiltern is, however, suffering from the nationwide driver shortage.
“Drivers are now getting the rate [of pay] they should have had ages ago. We run a bonus incentive scheme based on fuel economy, restricting damage and doing their paperwork right,” says Paul. “We look after our drivers, we value them.”
Keeps his hand in
Paul might be behind the desk as a rule but he does like to keep his hand in. “I like to take a truck out a couple of times a month,” he says. “I love doing a run to and from Cornwall when I can. I like to think that the drivers respect the fact I can still do the job and it allows me to see the challenges they face. It is critical for management to know the job.”
Chiltern Cold Storage is relatively new to the fridge market and started operating maximum-weight artics as recently as 2008. “We won a contract and bought four Volvo FHs. That got us into the big stuff,” says Paul.
“We like to be the ‘best in class’; we use the best kit and all the trucks are washed regularly. We incentivise the drivers and the drivers are treated with respect. They are a crucial part of the business, they’re whom the customers see. We have good driver retention.”
Paul did have a problem with drivers leaving last year when the driver shortage saw some lured to bigger logistics companies and supermarkets on the promise of more money, but Paul says many might have regretted this move.
“We try to keep them happy and many have found that their moves for a quick buck have not gone well. The grass isn’t always greener. Driver respect counts for a lot in the job.”
The driver of the smart Stralis featured in this piece is 45-year-old Kev Brown. A local from Peterborough, he’s one of the old hands at Chiltern, having been with the company when it started operating artics. He passed his Class 1 test 15 years ago – “I did recovery work before then” – until moving on to pilot artics. Kev loves the Stralis.
Not such a star
“Iveco has come a long way. I once had an 02-plate Eurostar but it fell apart. This is much better,” he says. “It’s the third Stralis I’ve had with Chiltern” – as the old hand, he tends to get a new truck more often than others. “I wouldn’t swap it, it’s great.”
As a trained mechanic and truck servicer, he knows his way round a truck, which helps him when he’s on the road. “Most minor niggles I can address and get the truck home. Thankfully, with this truck there hasn’t been any of those. But it’s nice to know your way round the vehicle.”
Kev, who joined the Royal Navy aged 16 from school, likes to make the truck his home, with subtle customising inside and out, including a leather interior. It has a roof-mounted light bar, leather mats and blue lights, as well as the pelmets and curtains. The transfers are also in a metallic blue, adding to the impression of a smart truck.
The day we met Kev he’d just driven back from Redruth, Cornwall, the last drop on a trip that, on the way down, had taken him via drops at Highbridge and Exeter. It’s a run he likes but he’s used to the fact that when he leaves on a Monday morning he may not be home again until the Friday night or Saturday morning.
Kev, who is looking to get back into to the ring to revive his boxing hobby, is ultra-proud of the interior of the truck and imposes a shoes-off policy for those entering the cab. Immaculate inside, it’s hard to comprehend this is a working truck.
The Stralis is a lovely truck to drive and it’s easy to see why Kev likes it so much. It seems Chiltern has hit on a win-win – this is a truck that is affordable, delivers excellent fuel economy and is cost-effective to run, while the driver gets a cab that’s perfect for his needs.
Article from Truck and Driver February 2016