Keedwell Scotland has put a very special new flagship DAF XG+ 530 to work with the support of contract hire specialist Asset Alliance Group.
Nicknamed ‘The Guv’nor’ after company forefather and inspiration John McLellan Senior, the truck features a picture of John with his first truck at Connal & Co from 1969 and son Gordon across the rear of DAF’s huge cab. Gordon subsequently joined the transport industry and ultimately set up McLellan’s Transport, the forerunner of Keedwell Scotland, in 1985.
John McLellan, Director at Keedwell Scotland and son of Gordon, says: “I named the truck The Guv’nor after my grandfather, as that’s what he was to our family. He led the way and my father then forged his own path in this industry, leading to where we are now as a family, and indeed a business.”
Supplied on a three-year contract hire deal, with full R&M including tyres and 24-hour breakdown assistance, support comes from Asset Alliance Group and North West Trucks. McLellan says that he finds the simplicity and assurance provided by contract hire attractive.
“It means I can leave the fleet with my transport manager’s team and concentrate on other parts of the business, knowing that they have backup if they need it. If the truck is off the road for any reason, we also know we’ll have a replacement,” he adds.
The DAF XG+ features an air suspended driver seat, pocket sprung mattress, refrigerator and LED cab lighting. It sits on Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels. The striking image of the McLellans was created by Hamilton-based vehicle wrapping specialist CubeWraps.
Keedwell Scotland is double teaming the truck, with driver Gus Anderson covering local distribution work in the day and driver Brian Buckley performing night trunking to Haydock. The tractor unit pulls a straight-frame curtainsider SDC trailer.
Asset Alliance Group will supply an additional three 480hp Mercedes-Benz Actros ProCabins to the 38-strong fleet on the same terms as the DAF in April, replacing older Renault trucks. Keedwell Scotland already has ten DAF LF 18-tonne curtainsider rigids with tail-lifts in operation via Asset Alliance Group, and four DAF 530 XGs.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Business Development Manager Dougie Bennett and the Asset Alliance Group team. He goes way above and beyond any other salesman in terms of the vehicles he supplies to us. It’s thanks to him we have this fantastic new truck,” says McLellan.
Keedwell Scotland (previously McLellan Transport) has its headquarters in Glasgow. It was formed as a joint partnership between the RT Keedwell Group and the McLellan family in 2015.
