Asset Alliance has secured its first order from steel piping supplier Shawston, placing three vehicles on a five-year full-service contract hire agreement.

Two 7.5-tonne DAF LF 150 dropsides and a Ford Transit van will operate from the company’s site in High Wycombe, delivering a range of steel piping products to building sites across London, and on occasion as far as the West Midlands and Dorset.

The steel supplier expects the new trucks to cover up to 28,000 miles each year, working five-and-a-half days per week. The new arrivals join a fleet of 11 commercial vehicles, ranging from vans to 26-tonne rigids.

Steve Wilson, group operations manager at Shawston, says: “Asset Alliance’s competitive full-service contract hire rates made the company the ideal choice for our fleet expansion.

“The firm’s full-service package works well for our business, particularly because of the flexibility it brings to our fleet, compared to purchasing vehicles outright. The fixed-price monthly payments also make it easier to manage a vehicle’s lifetime costs and effectively provide us with a warranty on the vehicles for the full five-year term.”

Shawston specified the trucks’ dropside bodywork from Bevan Group for the contract to facilitate easier loading of its range of steel fittings, pipe supports, tubes and valves, which are used in mechanical engineering and fire protection products. Both vehicles are also fitted with a fall protection system to maximise operator safety for the FORS-accredited fleet.

Asset Alliance will retain ownership of the vehicles under the agreement, and will take on all the associated costs, including tyre replacement, breakdown cover, safety inspections, servicing, and repair and maintenance requirements.