Thomas Hardie Commercials Ltd
Founded in 1939 by John Dickinson, J Dickinson & Sons started from humble beginnings offering haulage services to Bolton and surrounding areas via horse and cart. Fast forward 85 years, four generations later and the business has expanded somewhat, and now employs more than 80 members of staff, and still operates with the same core values, ethics, and beliefs. Based at Rivington View Business Park, Horwich, they occupy a 17-acre state-of-the-art recycling facility.
As a long-standing customer of Thomas Hardie Commercials Ltd and a proud supporter of the Volvo brand, it’s no surprise that they are one of the first to take delivery of the newest Volvo Aero product.
Managing Director, James Dickinson explained, “We have been trading for 85 years this year, so the Aero truck was purchased to mark the significant milestone. The personalised registration “1 SXD” was added to the truck in memory of my late mother, Susan Dickinson, who sadly passed away. We have 84 people employed in our skip and waste recycling activities, operating in the North West region. We originally considered 3 vehicle marques, but Volvo offered the new AERO model which came equipped with the support, backup, and reliability that is provided to the other Volvos in our fleet. Image also played a part, and the GTXL AERO cab offers good driver retention and functionality. Extensive driver comforts including a fridge, microwave, leather trim, factory side skirts, and safety items such as Type Pressure Monitoring and a large living area all made Volvo our preferred vehicle marque of choice.”
James continued, “We opted for a bespoke catwalk supplied by SB Components which were fitted with the 3-line hydraulics by Thomas Hardie Vehicle Solutions - Chorley. Vehicle safety cameras were also installed, along with beacons and strobes By Browns Autos making the overall finish of the truck even more striking.”
Reflecting on the service levels received from Thomas Hardie and their nominated Customer Solutions Manager – Paul McNicholas, James explained, “We received detailed support and helpful advice throughout the sales process from Paul, coupled with comprehensive technical information concerning the new Legras trailer which we purchased to pair up with the new truck. Duncan Seaman, Field Sales Engineer – Volvo Trucks UK also provided a meticulous level of support, and attention to detail to ensure that the truck and trailer were suitably matched and legally compliant. The extras we opted for should aid with the truck's overall residual value and open up some multi-use options further down the line.
The expected 4% potential fuel saving on the AERO should hopefully bear fruit, principally as this vehicle is planned for a tramper driver and will be doing approx. 120,000 km annually. The extended routes we will run should also benefit from the AERO fuel saving, coupled with the turbo compound engine and aerodynamic improvements, which means we are expecting some good fuel savings.
Image is key for us, and with the striking livery, driver comfort extra specification, and AERO pack, expectations are high that this will aid in driver retention and show our commitment and consideration to our employees.
The Gold R&M package that we have taken will give us peace of mind and cover any unexpected wear and tear related items for the duration of the contract. We are situated close to both Preston and Trafford so the flexibility to use either site is also a huge plus point.”
In closing, James noted, “The entire sales process from start to finish was excellent and the knowledge and understanding of our needs was second to none, making it a slick and easy process. The lead times offered were what we were looking for as the trailers were due so that also lined up well. I would certainly recommend Thomas Hardie Commercials and we will certainly consider purchasing Volvo again when other trucks in our fleet need replacing.”
