Kitchen maker builds new delivery strategy with 45 Isuzu Forwards

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Transport Engineer  /  March 15, 2018

Humberside manufacturer and retailer Wren Kitchens has taken delivery of the first 25 of a 45-strong order of Isuzu Forward 7-5 tonne rigids, to meet the requirements of a new distribution strategy.

The Isuzus will be covering the distribution routes previously handled by the company’s 100 Renault Master vans, delivering from regional sites to city centre customers.

Supplied by dealer Thompson Commercials, all 45 of the Forward N75.150 (E) rigid chassis are fitted with purpose-designed demountable bodies and are expected to cover 150,000km a year over a five-year working life.

Wren Kitchens operates an overnight trunking service from its manufacturing site in Humberside, using double and triple box-bodied drawbar combinations. At each Wren regional outbase, the demountable drawbar bodies are then transferred to the Isuzu rigids for onward distribution to key urban conurbations.

“We undertook considerable due diligence to identify that the payload afforded us by switching to the bigger gvw Isuzus would enable us to operate fewer vehicles in total, while also increasing our efficiency in distribution through the increased payload achieved,” says Lee Holmes, head of transport for Wren Kitchens, adding that the Isuzu’s compact footprint makes it easy to deliver to the same locations as vans.

“We have been able to achieve the minimum payload of 2.8 tonnes that makes this operation viable,” he says.

“The first 25 Isuzu trucks are now in daily operation and we have had no issues so far, plus the support that we have had from Thompson Commercials has been excellent… Their ongoing service support is ideal for our operation,” adds Holmes.

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