We’re continuing to strengthen our fleet and operational capabilities, by investing into 3.5 tonne single car transporters which will be deployed across our nationwide Operation Centres by November.
Having recently made significant investment into 150 new DAF and Volvo based purpose built multi-car transporters and 42 new JCB loaders, Copart’s total owned UK wide logistics fleet is stronger than ever before with over 400 vehicles.
This latest strand of our overall strategic investment plan focuses on addressing our more challenging vehicle collections.
These smaller, more manoeuvrable transporters will enable us to collect from inner-city and rural areas of the country where there are often restrictions on LGV access. The introduction of non-LGV vehicles into our Copart-owned fleet means less reliance on using subhaulers and puts us back in the driving seat when it comes to monitoring and controlling service and costs.
In addition to maintaining our high levels of customer service and supporting the achievement of SLA’s, the presence of more Copart-branded transporters on the road will help to further strengthen our brand reputation.
Uniformed drivers, who have been directly employed and trained by Copart, will enable us to provide consistency and build trust with our valued customers.
Phil Briggs, Director of Operation Centres, Transport & Engineering, said:
“We are continuously focused on reducing cycle-times and providing a convenient and efficient service for our customers, so ongoing investment into our fleet is key.
“Our new 3.5 tonne single car transporters will be deployed across some of our largest Operation Centres in Bristol, Chester, Newbury, Sandy, and Wolverhampton, enabling us to handle more complex vehicle collections on behalf of our customers as we head into our busy winter period.”
And, this investment into our fleet also supports our ongoing investment into the personal development of our people.
As drivers of these single car transporters do not require an LGV qualification, we are taking the opportunity to integrate the necessary training into our existing apprenticeship scheme to develop drivers ‘on the job’.
This not only enhances our existing development programme, but also provides a pathway towards achieving a full LGV C+E category licence, which is currently held by Copart’s wider driver community.
Shane Webb, Group Transport Manager, said:
“We’ve already made a significant investment into the training and development of our drivers, including specialist courses on how to safely and correctly handle electric and hybrid vehicles. Now, with the introduction of non-LGV vehicles into our fleet, we have a great opportunity to provide a new career path for employees working across our Operation Centres.
“With only a standard car driving license required, we’re hoping to attract and retain employees with an interest in this area of the business, and it provides a perfect stepping-stone towards progressing onto full LGV driver training and qualifications in the future.”