Bristol-based foodservice firm Charles Saunders has added nine eco-friendly vehicles to its fleet to meet growing demand.
The investment increases the size of the fleet to 35 commercial vehicles.
The state-of-the-art trucks have been designed by the firm’s transport manager Colin Bardsley and contain separate compartments, allowing frozen, chilled, fish, ambient, disposable and chemical products to be transported safely in the same vehicle.
Historically, products would be delivered in separate trucks from the firm’s two depots in Bristol, at St Philips and Netham.
The new trucks are also bigger to cater for an increase in new customers as well as orders from existing clients.
Charles Saunders, which has been in business for more than 50 years, employs 126 people and has customers in an area stretching across the South West from Swindon, north to Birmingham and into South Wales.
It has grown rapidly over the past eight years, increasing from a £6m turnover in 2008 to £20m this year.
In 2012 it acquired family-owned Bristol firm Good Morning Foods and Disposables to create one of the largest independent food service companies in the South West and increase its offering to include a range of disposable products to the catering trade such as tableware, crockery and cutlery.
Colin said: “The new trucks have enormous benefits for efficiency and safety.
“They allow for greater customer convenience as all products can be delivered in a single truck.
“The compartmentalisation and temperature control ensures food and non-food products are kept entirely separate for peace of mind, and the new diesel-run freezers use only the exact amount of energy needed to keep frozen food to temperature.
“Underside tail lifts for drop loading and a front side loading door enable easy access and speedier loading and unloading.
“And the vehicles also encompass a number of road safety features, including an eight side angle camera surround system with audible beep for enhanced awareness of cyclists. They also have a lane detection system to increase driver safety on motorways.”
The arrival of the vans coincides with the first year of the firm’s driver apprenticeship scheme.
Charles Saunders managing director Darren Gaulton said: “We introduced an internal training scheme in response to the shortage of drivers with a class 2 licence.
“Training lasts for around 12 months and includes internal projects including accompanying drivers on deliveries and working more than three shifts in stores, as well as external training to obtain the necessary licences.”
The apprentice under the scheme is due to start in January.
Pictured: Charles Saunders Foodservice transport manager Colin Bardsley with the trucks he designed
