The health and beauty retailer’s new additions are two DAF CF410 6x2 tractors with Space Cabs and AS Tronic gearboxes, and four DAF CF250 18-tonners with 28ft Bevan box bodies and Ratcliff 1.5-tonne column tail-lifts.
The 18-tonners replace similar vehicles that Semichem had owned for seven years and their arrival means the operator’s fleet is now 100% leased, and provided and maintained entirely by Ryder.
Stuart Nicolson, depot manager at Semichem, explains: “We’re owned by the Scottish Midland Co-operative, and thus the environmental impact of the fleet is important, so we’re happy to be moving to Euro VI.”
With around 100 shops and with the majority situated in Scotland, and deliveries taking place day and night, seven days a week from a DC in Livingston, vehicle uptime is important to Semichem.
Nicolson adds: “Any small hiccup has a huge knock-on impact in that chain, so Ryder’s back-up is important to us.
“We’ve been with Ryder for six years, and we’re continuing because we’re more comfortable working with Ryder and their maintenance set-up than with other suppliers. Ryder is on the ball, we’ve seen what their team can do and how they react in different situations.”