Aston Barclay plc invests £700k in state-of-the-art vehicle transporters and inspection turntables
- First new Scania trucks and Rolfo Pegasus trailers arrive at Aston Barclay’s Chelmsford site
- Vehicle remarketing group replacing fleet with unique transporters in the UK
- Collected vehicles are quickly imaged on new turntables at Prees Heath, Leeds and Westbury sites
Aston Barclay plc has completed its latest stage of Group investment by replacing its fleet of vehicle transporters with new ’16-plate Scania P410 trucks and bespoke, nine-car Pegasus trailers from Rolfo.
The leading vehicle remarketing group has invested over £700,000 in the new transporters, a first on UK roads thanks to the custom-built trailers. This improves load flexibility and enables additional vehicles to be carried, greatly reducing the time needed for loading and unloading at customer locations.
The first of the new Euro 6 units, liveried in Aston Barclay’s traditional black and green, arrived in the UK for their final stages of preparation by Stowmarket-based Scania distributor, TruckEast, following a three-month build process in Europe, before being delivered via Belle Trailers of Dunmow to Aston Barclay’s Chelmsford site in late April.
Before arriving in the UK, the trucks were transported from Sweden to The Netherlands for fitment of an additional axle, which increases the truck and trailer’s GVW to 19 tonnes load capacity. They were then shipped to Italy for a nine-car superstructure and trailer to be fitted, which includes a peak deck for additional capacity.
As part of Aston Barclay’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint across all areas of the business, it has specified 450-litre endurance fuel tanks across the new fleet, for increased flexibility and economy. This complements Scania’s Eco-roll technology, which encourages increasingly efficient fuel consumption.
The Scania units are also fitted with side-guards and Class V and VI close-proximity mirrors to comply with the latest legislation, with an in-cab, MDR recording system comprising of four cameras – side, rear and forward – improving the safety of both the fleet and, more importantly, other road users.
As part of upgrading its vehicle collection and inspection strategy, Aston Barclay has installed dedicated imaging studios at its Prees Heath, Leeds and Westbury sites. These feature new turntables with full ground and elevated lighting. This allows for vehicles to be imaged from every angle and quickly uploaded to online sales catalogues via the Group’s recently relaunched website.
The investment allows Aston Barclay to offer their customers a flexible, unique and on-demand service, which it recently demonstrated by turning vehicles into profit for dealer group customers during the March ’16 plate change. Vehicles were collected at midnight from dealerships and imaged, inspected and prepared for sale before being sold on the auction floor, all in less than 36 hours from the retail deal.
Glenn Scarborough, Managing Director of Aston Barclay plc, said: “We understand that speed of sale is crucial for our buyers and sellers. Recent investment in our logistics and preparation services demonstrate our commitment to facilitating this through a bespoke service. Using modern technology in support of our services enhances efficiency, leading to cost savings that we are able to re-invest in other areas of the business.”
