Growth of home delivery sector is a key driver in £26,000 fleet investment

A transport company in Mansfield has geared up for the growth of the home delivery sector having invested more than £26,000 in a new fleet of electric pump trucks.

Mitchells of Mansfield, a member of Palletways, Europe’s largest and fastest growing  express palletised freight network, has invested in 26 electric pump trucks to help with the increasing number of tail-lift deliveries handled by the company.

Richard Montgomery, operations director at Mitchells of Mansfield, said: “Tail-lift deliveries can be physically demanding for drivers and this new equipment will assist them with their day to day activities. The vehicles are semi-electric which help reduce driver fatigue and feature an automatic cut-off safety feature which means they’re less likely to experience a run-away incident, therefore reducing the risk of accidents.

“This is a significant but necessary investment – Palletways is forecasting a substantial growth in the home delivery sector over the coming years and this equipment will support this future growth.”

James Ferguson, business development manager at SHS Handling, added: “This investment sends out a strong signal about how much Mitchells of Mansfield value their drivers. With driver retention being a huge issue within the transport industry, I’m sure this will help ensure Mitchells attract and keep the best ones. These trucks have been proved to help deliver heavy pallets for all kerbside deliveries which give the client the best possible service and the depot a greater efficiency level.”

Mitchells of Mansfield is based at Brierley Park Industrial Estate, Sutton in Ashfield. It was founded in 1968 by Robert Mitchell. The firm has grown rapidly over the decades, joining Palletways as a founder member in 1995 under the guiding hand of Andrew Mitchell.

Palletways consists of 400 depots across Europe, of which more than 100 are in the UK. The company’s distribution networks are made up of independent transport companies – including Mitchells of Mansfield – who share each other’s resources to deliver consignments of palletised freight to market with the highest levels of service.

Pictured (l to r): Mitchells of Mansfield’s Steve Gregory, operations manager, and Richard Montgomery, operations director