Ultraframe finds the key to driving down costs

Tuesday 6th March, 2007

Market leaders Ultraframe have recently invested a six-figure sum into their transport infrastructure as part of a drive to optimise efficiency within the delivery process. The Clitheroe based company has acquired a new fleet of vehicles consisting of 10 Moffett Mounty trucks, 3 MAN tractor units and 15 trailers.

Paul Greaves, Ultraframe Logistics Manager, commented: “The use of Moffett Mounty trucks provides many new operational advantages for us and our bar length customers. We are now able to load and unload our wagons at a fraction of the previous time and the risk of breakages is dramatically reduced.

We identified that the majority of our smaller customers did not possess a fork lift truck and unloaded their orders using man power alone, which is time consuming, labour intensive and the risk of damaging products is high. The Moffett trucks eliminate all these factors, resulting in a far smoother transaction of goods and ultimately offering added value to our service. We believe the new fleet will present a significant cost saving every year and prove to be a great advantage during the delivery process for Ultraframe and our customers.”

The 3 new MAN tractor units, use an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system that adheres to the Euro 4 legislation aimed at reducing the output of harmful particulates and nitrous oxide. In addition, the new tractor units are more fuel-efficient than their predecessors, therefore reducing fuel costs per tractor.

The acquisition of 15 new trailers allows Ultraframe to maximize the number of stillages carried per delivery run. The new trailers are physically taller than previous models, giving a capacity increase of 25%, thus increasing the number of stillages per load from 18 to 24 for customer stillages and up to 30 supplier stillages.

Paul Greaves concluded: “The Moffett trucks save time and money for Ultraframe and our customers and will allow smaller firms to buy in bulk as they now have the means to unload the mass quantity. This investment will ensure we can provide an efficient service for our customers and reduce our administration and fuel costs. We are hoping to add more vehicles to our growing fleet in the near future.”