MACFARLANE PACKAGING INVESTS IN TRUCK FLEET UPGRADE IN DEAL WITH FRAIKIN.

Macfarlane Packaging, the UK’s largest protective packaging distributor, has invested £3.3 million to upgrade its fleet ensuring greener commercial vehicles and an efficient delivery process to their customers across the UK.

Under the new six-year, full-service deal, following a competitive tender process, Fraikin Limited, Europe’s largest commercial vehicle fleet services company, will supply Macfarlane with 32 18-tonne vehicles, six 7.5-tonne DAF LF rigid trucks and three DAF CF tractor units to replace older vehicles currently in service.

Macfarlane is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and the new DAF trucks are the start of Macfarlane’s move towards achieving the Euro VI* emission standard. The trucks also include important safety features. An internal camera system that will monitor driving behaviour will be installed in each vehicle along with ignition interlock devices that act as breathalysers, ensuring that the vehicles’ engines can only be started if the driver gives a reading below the legal drink-driving limit. All of Macfarlane’s vehicles will also have load security technology.

As part of the agreement, Fraikin will provide Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) training to Macfarlane’s drivers, with courses covering topics such as customer service and driving best practice; health, road and environmental safety; vehicle safety, control systems; and fuel efficiency.

Tim Hylton, Logistics Director at Macfarlane Packaging, says: “At Macfarlane Packaging we are committed to being dependable and efficient as well as more environmentally friendly with our deliveries to our customers. Fraikin listened to our requirements and clearly understood how we operate as a business. They secured the tender with a deal that increases our fleet efficiency and compliance, whilst minimising any vehicle downtime and improving our driver training and safety. In addition, having access to replacement vehicles means we can still achieve our delivery targets and continue to meet the needs of our customers even if we have a vehicle in the workshop.”

Macfarlane Packaging is the largest distributor of protective packaging products and services in the UK. It serves more than 20,000 businesses nationwide including Argos, Lakeland and Selfridges, making around 50,000 deliveries every month.

*The move to Euro VI is a requirement of the EU. All trucks are now manufactured to a Euro VI standard. The standard has fixed improvements in levels of NOx and diesel particulate emissions as well as other greenhouse gases.