Dynafleet and Volvo Contract Hire help protect ‘O’ Licence

Guyhirn, Cambridgeshire-based haulier Bretts Transport have put 10 new FH tractor units into service on Volvo’s competitively priced, in-house Contract Hire scheme. Although Bretts has been in business for almost 70 years, this is the first time that the family owned and managed company has deemed it appropriate to use this form of off-balance sheet finance for vehicle acquisitions.

The combination of Volvo Contract Hire and Dynafleet, (with which all the new trucks are equipped) with its ability to produce easy to understand fuel and vehicle usage reports as well as tracking with snail-trails, is helping Bretts protect their ‘O’ Licence, says Managing Director Simon Brett, adding that, with its fixed costs, it is also helping cashflow.

The change was brought about by the winning of a medium-term contract with a packaging manufacturer with multiple manufacturing facilities and stringent timed delivery schedules. These require that packaging made in Scotland on day one, would be with the customer in southern England on day two. The flexibility of the Volvo Contract Hire scheme, coupled to Volvo’s Dynafleet TIS system, ensured that Bretts chose the FH’s over several competitors.

Six of the new FH’s are based near Ely with the others split between Guyhirn or outbased at the premises of the packaging manufacturer in the Central Belt of Scotland. The vehicles were supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia at Ely, who also handle the maintenance of the locally based trucks, some of which work day and night shifts between England and Scotland.

Simon Brett believes that operating the new Volvo’s is popular with his customers as well as the firm’s drivers. “Customers like to see their goods delivered on quality vehicles. It’s an important factor when deciding which make of truck to buy. Customers also like to see the transport company making an investment in their side of the operation. Using quality vehicles like the new Volvo’s projects an image of their products that our customers can feel good about.”

Specifications of the four 6x2 and six 4x2 artics are driver-friendly with 480 and 440bhp, 13 litre engines, I-Shift transmissions and Globetrotter cabs. Although the price of the contract hire was a key consideration, Simon says that he did not hesitate to choose a higher-level of specification. Summing up, he says. “We have got a combination of the best price and the best specification. We’ve dipped a toe in the water with contract hire and - so far - it’s looking good.”