We recently spoke with Managing Director Jamie Brown about why Newlay Asphalt Ltd continues to choose Renault Trucks as the backbone of its fleet.
With 25 trucks currently in operation - and all but one being Renault - the company has built a long-standing relationship with both Renault Trucks and Thompsons.
For Jamie, practicality, reliability, and value are the key factors when selecting vehicles.
“Renault Trucks are at a really good price point for us and they do exactly what we need. We don’t need a fancy vehicle - we need something reliable that gets the job done, and Renault trucks do that very well.”
Over the years, the business has purchased around 30 vehicles through Thompsons, building a trusted partnership along the way.
Jamie has worked with several members of the Thompsons team over the years, with Sales Executive John Robinson being the main point of contact.
“John has been the person I’ve worked with the most. He’s very open, especially when it comes to pricing. If something doesn’t quite look right, he’s happy to review it and work through it with us.”
Support extends beyond vehicle supply, with Stace Whitehead helping the business maximise fleet performance.
“The driver training and support we get with Optifleet from Stace has been really useful. It helps us understand driver performance and improve efficiency across the fleet.”
Telematics and driver performance monitoring have become an important part of the company’s fleet management.
“Optifleet is really useful once you get used to using it properly. The driver league tables highlight where extra training might be needed, and sometimes the drivers you least expect actually come out on top.”
Like many operators, Jamie is keeping an eye on the development of electric trucks, although there are still some challenges to overcome.
Payload capacity remains a key consideration.
“Our wagons carry around 20 tonnes of asphalt at 32 tonnes gross weight. If an electric truck can only carry 17 tonnes, that’s a big difference — it means more trips on large jobs.”
Charging infrastructure is another factor.
“We don’t do huge mileage, so range wouldn’t necessarily be the problem. But installing the charging infrastructure at our sites could be difficult.”
Jamie believes that changes to weight regulations could help accelerate adoption.
“If electric trucks could carry the same payload as diesel vehicles, I think the industry would look at them very differently.”
Driver feedback is an important factor when making fleet decisions. After trialling another manufacturer’s vehicle, the drivers were clear about their preference.
“We recently had another brand in for a demo, but the drivers all said they preferred driving the Renaults. They felt they were a better vehicle overall.”
The company’s fleet continues to grow, with several new vehicles already on order.
With three trucks arriving shortly and another two due later in the year, the fleet will soon increase to 27 wagons.
