OPERATIONS AND VEHICLE FLEET
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Fleet director Ken Bailey achieves a lot with a comparatively modest vehicle pool.
Although Mini Dipper's customer base has expanded, the fleet size has remained much the same — evidence of efficient and effective working methods.
The size of individual vehicles, however, has gradually increased as Mini Clipper has grown, with greater emphasis placed on volume more than tare. Currently, 3.5-tonne, 7.5-tonne and 18-tonne rigids — most with tail-lifts, some with air suspension — and 44-tonne artics are operated with some double-deck trailers for pallet hub trunk runs.
Although increasingly popular with many pallet fleets, three-axle rigfcls present access problems, but self-loading crane-equipped vehicles are being considered to support the growing volume of specialist installation work.
Marques of choice include Mercedes-Benz for lightweight chassis, Scania and MAN 18-tonners and MAN tractor units (the EGH engine is regarded as being a significant bonus) are currently preferred, with automated shifts increasingly the default specification.
With most vehicles less than three years old, and H&M undertaken by the supplier under warranty (there's no in-house workshop), Mini Clipper's relationship with the dealer is a major influence on buying decisions.
Vehicles are a mix of owned, leased and long-term hire examples, supported by outside bunkering and independent fuel monitoring.