The French Garden upgrades its fleet

TFG has traditionally leased its vehicles, but has now driven down a different route. Director Iain Furness explained: “We had three articulated lorries and have added one more, to deliver the produce we already have on the road and cater for future growth.

“The decision to buy them outright was primarily based on the quality of the after care we believe we‘ll get from Renault. With the amount of time our vehicles spend on the road and the perishability of the produce, reliability is absolutely key. We’ve been paying a lot of money for maintenance that we just weren’t getting with leased vehicles, but now these are part of us and they will be a big part of what we do,” Iain said.

“This is a large investment, but it’s all part of our commitment to customer service – we just can’t let customers down and if one of our vehicles gets detained by port authorities, for example, this will give us more flexibility.”

The fleet transports produce to and from France six times a week and also covers routes to the North, West and South East of England three times a week. Nine TFG drivers share that load and they mix the routes up, so if there is ever a need for someone to switch to cover another driver, they are familiar with the route.

The state-of-the-art cruise control in the brand-new diesel tractor units will significantly reduce fuel usage for vehicles that do an average of approximately 100,000 kilometres each a year.

Garry Boyle, the firm’s transport manager, researched extensively before the final decision was made to go with Renault. “We looked at all the alternatives, but were recommended Renault by a number of people. I attended a demonstration event at Renault’s depot in Lyon and there were 52 Renault customers there. Overwhelmingly, they told me that the after care is second to none. Salesmen can tell you whatever they want, but that level of customer endorsement made a real difference.

“The Renault team was great too, all the way up to board level they took a real interest in me and the firm,” he added. “There is also a Renault garage near to the TFG premises in Rungis, Paris, which was another clincher.”

The aesthetics of the trucks have been upgraded by SJ Signs, a 50-year old company from Kent that has worked for TFG on various projects over the last couple of decades. In a full makeover, the vivid red tractor units are complemented by the vibrant and colourful TFG livery around the entire trailer – even on the wheel hubs. “We recognise that these vehicles are moving adverts for the company and first impressions can be really important,” said Iain. “It’s easy to forget that, but we’re really proud of this new look and the initial response from people who’ve seen it has been really complementary. I just hope the drivers look after them!

The drivers have been involved in the process – they were all consulted about the move to Renault cabs and engines and the cruise control functionality. He has also specced up the tractor units to improve the driveability and comfort for drivers who often sleep in the cabs overnight. Each unit, for instance, has a fridge freezer installed as one of its ‘home comforts’. Garry said: “The drivers are really happy and looking forward to driving them. Having happy staff is so important – we have a great team here and hope this will make their working lives better too.”