It was after Yokohama’s transport supervisor Chris Reed delivered the Scania 94D that he was asked by the college if he would be happy to return and talk to the students about his insight into the logistics sector.
Reed said: “I’m really looking forward to giving my logistics talks to the students at Northampton College which is not far away from Yokohama’s UK headquarters in Milton Keynes.
“I’ll give them some background about myself, what my job involves on a day-to-day basis, what we’re doing differently at Yokohama and what we aim to do going forward. I hope they find it educational and entertaining.”
Reed originally spent seven years in the army before a sales role in oils and lubricants. When Covid-19 struck, he was made redundant and retrained as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver.
Yokohama gave him his first job behind the wheel delivering its tyres, but it was not long before his logistics potential was spotted by Yokohama after he put forward suggestions on ways to improve volumes and increase its fleet operations.
The lorry that has been donated to the college has been retired after 20 years of service. In its run, the vehicle is said to have clocked up 1,270,000km and delivered an estimated 960,000 tyres across 57,000 journeys.
Reed added: “The lorry, which I have a close and happy connection with, was too good for the scrap heap.
“Yokohama management supported the idea of supporting the next generation of vehicle mechanics by donating the lorry so they can learn the lessons and skills they will need to progress in their careers.”
Nick Burton, automotive HGV & light vehicle lecturer at Northampton College, said: “Yokohama’s contribution is immensely valuable to our program and will significantly enhance the hands-on learning experiences we can offer our apprentices. It will make a lasting impact on our programme and the lives of many aspiring HGV motor vehicle professionals for which we are extremely grateful.”
