J12 JHW
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JH Willis Transport has invested more than £1,000 on four number plates ending with JHW. They are J12, J14, J15 and J18. His initial aim was also to get consecutive numbers, but he came up against the problem that the DVLA rules mean not all numbers are issued as select registrations.
"I wanted to have all my fleet numbered in order but I realised this would be Utopia," says owner Robert Willis, who runs a 15-strong milk tanker fleet of 38-tonne ERFs. "Anyway," he adds, "I didn't want 13, and 16 wasn't available. I doubt I'll ever have 1 because it is too expensive.
"I don't think that they are expensive when you compare them to the cost of the vehicles," he says. "But I don't think they would help if the vehicle was stolen. The number plate would be the first thing thieves would take off."
J6 GWO
Great Western Oils, an Exeter-based subsidiary of BP Oil UK, uses the GWO logo on its vehicles and this makes its use of personalised number plates particularly appropriate.
It has a mixture of H and J-reg personalised number plates and has so far spent about £4,000 on them.
Great Western Oils runs 21 tankers which distribute bulk oil, and also runs a fleet of vans and cars.
Grahame Underwood, operations manager at GWO, hopes eventually to have all the fleet registered with GWO numbers. "They are a novelty," he says.
H2 JRH
"Well I wonder if they are worth bothering with sometimes," says Rry Harding, engineering director of Frome-based JR Harding in Somerset. The temperature-controlled haulier has 13 personalised number plates for which he has paid more than £3,700. He has a fleet of 50 Scanias and Volvos, mostly 38-tonners.
"We started buying them two years ago because we wanted to commemorate the fact we had bought 100 vehicles since starting the business 26 years ago."
Harding wanted 11100 JRH but it was not available. So he started at one and counted upwards. However, he discovered that once you go above 20 you can't get number plates in sequence, but can only buy numbers ending in 0 or which are multiples of the same number such as 22 or 555. It is not possible, therefore, to have 21 or 23, "We bought them because they give character to the fleet," says Harding, but he doubts that the public, or even all of the staff, notice them. He also doubts that they would be a help if the trucks were stolen.
"They aren't valiie for money — it is just opportunism by the DVLA," he adds. "I'm not sure I see the point in continuing to buy them."
J5 CMD
"Anything which makes us stand out can only be beneficial," says Andrew Downton of CM Downton Haulage Contractors of Gloucester. "We are very keen to promote a positive image by trying to operate smart distinctive equipment."
Downton has six personal number plates so far and expects to have two more in August. By then he will have spent more than £1,500 on personal numbers, He hopes eventually to have all his fleet sporting special plates.
Downton is a truck enthusiast who operates a smart fleet of 26 Volvo and Leyland Daf 38-tonners. He works for the brewing and building trades. "While realising that we may appear vain and egotistical, the fact that articles like this are being written proves that people take note of number plates.
"I would like to see the registrations cheaper but they are definitely worth having, Everyone in the company likes them and it helps make the trucks recognisable if they are stolen." 0 by Mary Williams DVLA Select Registrations can be contacted on (0734) 757575.