The landmark asset – a Mercedes-Benz Actros 2548 tractor unit – was delivered in Asset Alliance CEO Willie Paterson’s native Scotland to logistics services firm 3GL Transport.
It will be used on a contract transporting Fyffes’ bananas from the port of Southampton to supermarkets across the UK.
To mark the occasion, Asset Alliance donated £2,000 to the STV Children’s Appeal, which is raising funds to support children and young people in Scotland who are affected by poverty.
Paterson believes Asset Alliance is crucially different to other similar organisations, not least because it uses its own funds and purchasing power to buy and finance vehicles and trailers.
That, he says, enables the firm to supply multi-marque vehicles on any combination of contract hire, operating lease, finance lease or hire purchase.
“Others struggle to compete in terms of price, tailoring deals and demonstrating real industry expertise,” insists Paterson.
“They tend to be either ‘off-the-shelf’ suppliers, or financiers who don’t understand the complexities around commercial vehicles. Customers want more than that these days.”
Paterson now runs Asset Alliance Group – a parent company which includes Asset Alliance and three other businesses specialising in trucks and trailers, refrigerated equipment and bus and coaches – ATE Truck and Trailer Sales, Total Reefer and Forest Asset Finance respectively.