News
TCM feeds on 10 years of performance – and Skye’s not the limit
5 February 2008
Carrs Billington is celebrating 10 years of using TCM fork lift trucks. The UK fleet of thirty-eight diesel trucks are worked hard in dusty areas every day – and they are still going strong.
Carrs Billington is the largest supplier of feed for ruminant animals in the North of England and Wales. The company has a delivery area which stretches from the Isle of Skye to South Wales. The business consists of 6 mills and 17 retail outlets which sell everything from baling twine to tractors for farms and agriculture industries.
The trucks run in some of the most remote areas of Britain – but Carrs and TCM dealer Permatt say the trucks can handle it – no problem.
Draw an imaginary line from Aberdeen to Dorset and to the left (as a general rule) is where the grass is better for grazing – to the right is more arable land and pig production. So maybe the grass is greener on one side after all. It certainly has been over the last 10 years for Carrs Billington Operations Engineer -Nigel Hillyer who took the decision to hire TCM diesel trucks on five year leases at the start of 1998.
Today the group operates a fleet of thirty-eight TCM trucks in the UK, twenty-two of which are at Carrs Billington – each being 2500kg capacity diesel counterbalance trucks with cabs and side shift.
Nigel Hillyer explained the move: “TCM trucks were chosen after we put out a tender for the trucks. Initially we invited fifteen truck companies which shortlisted at the start of 1998.
“TCM seemed the most robust, well-built and offered us excellent reliability. TCM won on price, after sales, robust build quality and drivers rating; Our drivers think the trucks are fantastic.”
TCM dealer Permatt based in the North East won the contract ten years ago on the promise of reliability and performance – and the trucks have lived up to the test according to Permatt, managing director, Mark Percy: “TCM trucks are so reliable we are happy to send them far and wide to even the most remote parts of the UK. We have put over thirty trucks into Carrs and we service them all. We’re happy to put TCM trucks in even the remote places because we know once they go out you don’t see them again – and a simple service takes under an hour to perform.”
Carrs Billington delivers over 700,000 tonnes of feeds to farms in the UK every year, from 4 feed mills and 2 smaller factories and through 17 one-stop shop farm retail outlets. Feeds are delivered in bulk and in bags to allow more remote farms to handle the foodstuffs more easily.
Nigel Hillyer continued: “The TCMs are worked hard and in a dusty environment but the trucks don’t seem to mind at all. We now have TCM trucks throughout the group looked after by Permatt under five year contracts. We are now on our second season of leasing trucks and have found them extremely reliable.
“Our associate company in South Africa has also switched to TCM after making a visit to our factories recently. They agreed the trucks looked robust and listened to drivers’ comments. So they went home and contacted their local TCM dealer in South Africa.
