A setup as strong as a lion
JMD Haulage Contractors, based in Knowsley, Liverpool, is setting records when it comes to the purchase of new MAN trucks. Five new MAN TGX trucks have just been added to the 43 trucks that had already been delivered. Particularly significant among the reasons for this are that they are attractive to truck drivers and the great importance attached to comfort and safety in the new MAN trucks.
JMD Haulage Contractors is built on excellence. By the end of 2024, the company’s fleet will have been expanded to a total of 72 new vehicles. The new additions are all MAN TGX semitrailers from the MAN TGX 26.480 and MAN TGX 26.470 series. JMD Haulage Contractors, which has almost five decades of experience and is now the largest transporter of containers in and out of the Port of Liverpool, has around 80 vehicles in its modern fleet. The long-standing cooperation with MAN is an integral part of that. And it is no coincidence.
Alan Maguire, Director of JMD Haulage Contractors, got his truck driving licence at the age of 21 and has driven countless routes since. Due to his great experience and commitment, John Deveney, the founder and CEO of the company, appointed him director in 2006. Alan is available to the drivers at all times: he knows what needs to be done and how to do it, and enjoys the occasional opportunity to get back behind the wheel himself.
He is not the only one who is impressed by MAN trucks; the drivers he employs feel the same. Alan is convinced: ‘As a company, it is vitally important that we invest heavily in equipment and systems that measurably improve both the profitability of the firm and the working environment of our employees.
‘MAN trucks are very popular with our drivers, who rave about their high levels of comfort and safety.’
To ensure maximum driver comfort, each of the new vehicles comes with enhanced equipment, including a 240-volt microwave and a 22-inch colour TV with remote control and Freeview function. Other comfort features include a 7-inch satellite navigation screen with MAN’s unique SmartSelect system, a fridge under the bunk, a heated and ventilated driver’s seat and a removable hammock to relax in.
‘Our vehicles cover an average of 120,000 kilometres per year. To protect the safety of our drivers and other road users, we ensure that all vehicles are equipped with the latest safety and assistance systems,’ says Alan.The feedback from the drivers and the evaluations of the vehicle data have shown that the new MAN trucks are not only popular with the truckers, but have performed well in terms of fuel consumption, too: ‘The telematics data now demonstrates that the newer 480 h.p. vehicles are also showing their full potential. It’s also great to get positive feedback from JMD drivers, as it allows us to better understand their needs and ensure we meet their expectations as well,’ says Tony Davidson, Regional Fleet Sales Manager, MAN Truck & Bus Ltd, who is very pleased about the successful cooperation with JMD Haulage Contractors.
The JMD Haulage Contractors drivers feel noticed and valued. For many of them, changing jobs is out of the question, because nowhere else would they get to see, on a daily basis, such impressive ships as those here in Liverpool and the multitude of containers holding goods to be delivered throughout the country. The drivers are dependent on very good scheduling to ensure that every container is transported to the right place. But it is only thanks to them, the professional truckers, that their distribution is possible.