Trailer rental specialist Hireco is entering the truck rental and contract hire sector, looking to specialise in vehicles providing maximum driver comfort and fuel-saving features for its customers.
An initial batch of 30 Mercedes-Benz Actros 2545 Big Space 6x2 tractor units, with luxury cab and predictive power control (PPC) will arrive this month, with the option to receive another 70 Mercedes trucks this year. Hireco is also considering MAN trucks featuring Top Torque.
“We are hoping to have 200 trucks on fleet by the end of 2015, and grow the fleet to 500 by the middle or third quarter of 2016. This is an ambitious task, but we have an excellent customer base that really like what we do with the trailer product and feel we can deliver the same results with truck,” said Hireco MD James Smith.
He added: “We have a team that came from BRS and Ryder, with lots of experience with trucks so it’s not unknown territory. We also have some of the best fleet engineers in the business with over 100 years’ experience between them.”
The company’s all-hours maintenance department, Serviceco, will be used to maintain the new truck fleet.
Hireco’s existing trailer and contract hire fleet now stands at more than 6,000 units, with 3,000 added since 2013 as the company focused on expanding its contract hire packages.
Trailers are predominantly SDC, Dennison, Schmitz and Montracon, however in the past year, the company also ordered 100 Chereau fridge trailers.
Smith told Motortransport.co.uk that two new sites will open this year, one in Manchester, and a new flagship facility in Essex, with a workshop and ATF lane planned.
