New £3.3M Contract Hire Deal From Fraikin Packs A Real Punch For Macfarlane Packaging.

After winning an extremely competitive tender process involving 10 providers, Fraikin has signed a six-year, full-service contract hire agreement worth £3.3m with Macfarlane Packaging, supplying 41 new commercial vehicles into its national fleet.

The deal sees Fraikin supply 32 18-tonne and six 7.5-tonne DAF LF rigid trucks, plus three DAF CF tractor units. The new deliveries are replacements for older vehicles and represent the start of the customer’s move towards full Euro VI compliance, with Fraikin hoping to increase its share of Macfarlane Packaging’s 106-strong commercial vehicle fleet as that process continues.

Tim Hylton, Logistics Director at Macfarlane Packaging, says: “Fraikin showed a genuine desire to work with us from the very start, listening to our requirements and really getting to grips with how we operate as a business. They secured the tender with a deal that increases our fleet efficiency and compliance, while minimising any vehicle downtime and improving our driver training. It really is the total package.”

The new assets will deliver protective packaging to B2B customers across the UK, clocking up 60,000 km a year. Each new rigid truck is mounted with a Bevan curtainside body and is fitted with new technologies – including a load restraint system to increase payload security between deliveries, plus an internal camera system to monitor driving behaviour.

All maintenance and servicing will be scheduled out-of-hours to avoid any disruption to Macfarlane Packaging’s business at peak times. If required, a temporary replacement vehicle will be provided while all work is being carried out, allowing the company to continue its day-to-day operations at full capacity.

Hylton adds: “Fraikin has taken care of absolutely everything. Having access to a replacement vehicle means we can continue to meet customer demand and still hit our delivery targets, even if we have a vehicle in the workshop. Innovations like this bring real benefits – previously, we could lose several hours a day every time we had a breakdown.”

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

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.