Preparing our Vehicles
A.W. Jenkinson Transport operates a rolling system to ensure the most up-to-date fleet possible, incorporating the latest health and safety, design and efficiency innovations. On average, vehicles are replaced every three years, so preparation of vehicles for the road is a vital aspect of the business.
Before each vehicle is sent on the road, the dedicated preparation team at Gilwilly in Penrith equips it with a forward-facing camera, a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) kit, a tracking and telematics device, health and safety equipment such as a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit, and a hands-free smartphone’. The vehicle is also thoroughly tested to ensure it meets the exacting standards of safety and quality that A.W. Jenkinson Transport demands.
When the preparation work is completed, each vehicle goes on to be branded with the distinctive ‘three trees’ livery which now makes A.W. Jenkinson Transport one of the most recognised hauliers on UK roads.
Decommissioning of Vehicles is just as Important a Process
To prepare a vehicle for sale, it is carefully assessed by the Company’s fitters who go on to remove the livery, refurbish the interior and make any repairs required to the bodywork. As a result, A.W. Jenkinson Transport vehicles are increasingly in demand in the second-hand market. Smith Bros Services Ltd, based in Warrington, is the exclusive retailer for A.W. Jenkinson Transport’s older trucks.
Specialist Support and Technical Know-how
Over the last few years, A.W. Jenkinson Transport has experienced continuous growth and the business has ambitious expansion plans for the future. Integral to this development and to the smooth running of the day-to-day operation is our vehicle maintenance operation, which runs from three depots. This department provides specialist support and technical know-how to keep the fleet fully operational and minimising downtime.
The first depot is located at the key Penrith operational site and includes embedded teams of Scania and Volvo-employed service engineers who are responsible for servicing and maintaining the fleet to exacting manufacturer specification. The second, based at A.W. Jenkinson Transport’s major site at Lockerbie, serves a similar function, though is more focused on maintaining the specialised timber skeletal trailers and self-loading log vehicles which are widely used throughout Scotland. The most recent maintenance hub opened in 2020 at Runcorn, and acts as a servicing site for Scania trucks as well as a drop-in repair centre for other A.W. Jenkinson Transport vehicles. A number of satellite depots, such as Queenborough, Goole, Avonmouth and others, have teams of maintenance sub-contractors.
Skilled Maintenance Team
The skilled maintenance team includes specialist fitters and fabricators, who are responsible for the repair and refurbishment of the fleet. At the Penrith and Lockerbie sites, they are joined by a number of apprentices, who are provided with the training necessary to achieve industry recognised qualifications.
The Lockerbie site also includes a team of mechanics who are focused on repairing walking floor and chipliner trailers – this includes major operations such as replacing walking floors and chassis crossmembers.
Vehicle Safety is One of our Prime Objectives
When it comes to support and breakdown repair of our vehicles on the road, the service is delivered by A.W. Jenkinson Transport’s own dedicated team using a modern fleet of maintenance vans as well as other providers such as Scania and Volvo.
The Company has invested in the latest technology to support drivers with daily checks of their vehicles and to provide the maintenance team with state-of-the-art record keeping and workshop management. The cloud-based software allows drivers to report defects and damage remotely and enables the maintenance team to plan and schedule repairs as efficiently as possible, resulting in minimal downtime.
