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EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE FOR A VERY MODERN FLEET
Page 63
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In the period following the fuel crisis, AE Gough gradually built up its fleet with second-hand trucks, mostly ERFs. Much of the firm's time and money was spent keeping them on the road, and drivers were proving hard to retain. Then in a flash of inspiration while crawling under another old motor. Simon Gough realised, "Either we do this properly, or we don't do it at all." It was decided to modernise the fleet and the first Scania was bought in 2002. Now, with 580,000km beaind it, that initial 470hp Swede is about to be replaced.
With the exception of an imminent Daf CF85 8x4, a cannily bought cancelled order, to be run in Hanson's colours on a specific contract, the fleet consists of top-end Scania 6x2 tractors. Some of the earlier examples are 470s, but the fleet is now standardised on R580 Toplines, all bought on finance.
Although appreciation of the brand duality is an issue to AE Gough, afar bigger factor is the dealer experience. While previous ownership of other brands saw journeys as far afield as Swansea, to receive unexceptional service, the firm now enjoys exceptional service from a dealer located relatively near by.
West Pennine Trucks, despite its Saesneg name, is located at Knighton, just 18 miles away. Under the leadership of depot manager Phil Gillum, West Pennine delivers "service that's out of this world" according to Michael Gough. He cites an example of when a new turbo was delivered without a vital union, the missing part was sent by taxi from Milton Keynes so the truck could be repaired overnight.
All servicing is carried out at weekends, with West Pennine providing a loan van to allow ferrying of the trucks, usually by Derek Gough. This arrangement will also include the new Daf, after its first supplying dealer service. A basic workshop at Gough's base is used for fortnightly checks and minor repairs, while a mechanic two miles away maintains the fleet of Fruehauf trailers. In the Coughs' experience, he carries more spares than Fruehauf. Unusually, the disc-braked trailers are seen a better investment than the Scanias, when part-exchanged in good condition at three years old.