It was 1988 when Philip and Melanie Liddell created the business of Ace Liftaway Ltd. Starting with one truck and eight mini skips, Philip and Melanie have grown the business into a leading waste management provider with a fleet of over 60 vehicles and trailers.
The fleet maintenance requirements that come with a fleet of this size are considerable. Whether it is routine maintenance or regular periodic brake safety checks, the costs associated with outsourcing all of the work is significant. Couple this cost with the increased fleet downtime that results from ferrying vehicles backwards and forwards to third party testing facilities, it all becomes a very expensive and resource-intensive task.
Philip and Melanie are constantly looking for ways to further improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of their business operations. In 2021, they felt that it was an appropriate time to install a vehicle inspection and test capability to DVSA Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) standards. Creating a new high specification workshop for their expanding fleet would reduce the quantity of vehicle safety checks and maintenance work that needed to be outsourced. These cost savings would make a considerable contribution to the capital equipment investment costs.
Philip and Melanie wanted to develop a modern new workshop, complete with DVSA approved testing equipment. Their vision was to utilise a quality, pre-fabricated steel pit, DVSA approved HGV Roller Brake Tester, Headlamp Tester and Axle Play Detectors. Ace Liftaway Ltd is also very proud of its British heritage and family ownership. Their requirement was to work with an established UK company, supplying high quality, proven equipment. As Tecalemit Garage Equipment Ltd is celebrating its 100th year in 2022, the fit was just perfect.
Philip and Melanie contacted the team at Tecalemit and were soon in dialogue with Steve Barnfield, one of Tecalemit’s area equipment specialists. Steve has over twenty years of experience in the supply of both commercial vehicle equipment and DVSA MOT testing equipment requirements. The new facility was to be constructed in-between two existing buildings and provided just enough room for the new workshop to be configured in a drive-through format, to DVSA ATF dimensions.
The Waste recycling business is a heavy-duty business with vehicles to match. Philip and Melanie wanted to deploy strong, durable, proven equipment that would cope adequately with their fleet needs. Tecalemit’s DE9700 HGV Roller Brake Tester features powerful 15kw motors together with an epicyclic gearbox and heavy-duty chain drives. A soft start facility, not only protects the brake tester but also minimises the load placed on the vehicle drivetrain. With its ability to store brake test results, the Tecalemit DE9700 eliminates the need to keep manual brake test records, further reducing administration costs.
Philip and Melanie are keen classic car enthusiasts and own a fleet of historic British sports cars such as Triumph, Jaguar and MG marques. Keeping a fleet of classic cars in good order requires a robust care and maintenance plan. Philip and Melanie also apply these forward-thinking principles to their HGV fleet, and will always take time to have components such as vehicle tread plates and lamp housings, fully galvanised for corrosion resistance and longevity. The fully galvanised roller bed of the Tecalemit DE9700 matched Philip and Melanie’s high standards for ensuring the equipment looks good whilst being adequately prepared for reliability and longevity.
A set of Tecalemit DE7353 Axle Play Detectors, built into the pre-fabricated pit chassis, would enable the easy testing of suspension components for wear. With remote control operation from within the pit, the vehicle technician can easily establish if the vehicle meets the required MOT roadworthiness standard. A Tecalemit DE7588 Headlamp Tester would enable the workshop to check and set the vehicle lights to the required standard.
The Tecalemit equipment will enable the team at Ace Liftaway Ltd to ensure their fleet is fully prepared, maintained and tested to DVSA MOT standards, using their in-house facility. This will reduce wasted time and resources, which, is close to the heart of Philip and Melanie, after all, when you are in the recycling business, waste not, want not.
Tecalemit would like to thank Philip and Melanie for choosing to work with Tecalemit Garage Equipment Ltd. We wish them every success with their new vehicle testing capability.
To understand how you can benefit from Tecalemit’s ATF equipment and MOT expertise, call us on 01752 219111 or email [email protected]
You can find out more about Ace Liftaway Ltd by visiting their website www.aceliftaway.co.uk
