One of the UK’s premier providers of hotel laundry hire and services, Johnsons Hotel Linen, has started to introduce three fixed double decks and fifty-two rigids to its fleet, with a focus on durability to meet its testing operational schedule.
The decision to partner with Tiger Trailers was made after a visit to its specialised facility in Cheshire by Leigh Anscombe, Johnsons’ National Transport Manager. The order for the trailers was placed initially, and the first delivery took place in October 2023, along with twenty 18-tonne rigids, all manufactured with robustness in mind.
Anscombe says: “From our first introduction to Ignacio and Tiger Trailers we were impressed with the setup of the business and the attention we received as a potential customer. This has continued since placing numerous large orders through Tiger Trailers, with communication from Ignacio being fantastic and constantly keeping us aware of the situation and any changes. Issues that were encountered along the way and could have potentially arisen were communicated, headed off and dealt with before becoming a problem because of this.”
He further added: “the first batch of vehicles have been on our fleet for close to six months now during our busiest period, and show no signs of wear and tear. This is what we would expect from a company such as Tiger and feel it is reflected in the overall finish and build quality of the product and service we have received.”
Given the demanding nature of their operations, with a high number of stops made each day, strength was a paramount consideration in selecting a supplier for the new fleet. The Tiger-built rigids and trailers for Johnsons were customised with features such as Anchorfix steel plates within GRP-faced sidewalls to enhance protection for load securing tracks, preventing damage from frequent cage loading.
The Truck Specification
The first twenty Tiger rigids delivered to Johnsons are on DAF LF 4×2 chassis, and boast roof ventilators to combat damp laundry loads, a full-closure Dhollandia 1,500kg cantilever tail-lift, a bespoke aerodynamic kit, and a rear-sloping roofline for improved air flow. These vehicles, sporting three different digital liveries, have already joined Johnsons’ nationwide fleet.
Double Deck Trailer Specification
The fixed deck double deck box van solution from Tiger Trailers supports Johnsons Hotel Linen’s fleet of rigids and primary national hubs by enabling the transportation of up to 74 cages during peak demand.
Rated at 10 tonnes, the fixed full-length upper deck and is constructed of steel overlaid with phenolic floor, with a steel durbar crash plate at the rear. The reversing spot lamps on each side have been fitted at a 45-degree offset behind the rear axle to improve safety and visibility during low-speed manoeuvring around yards and hotel car parks. Completing the trailers’ specification is a gated Dhollandia 2500kg twin-tier column tail-lift.
Technical Sales Manager at Tiger Trailers, Iggy Torres-Manzi, comments: “Tiger and I are proud to have both brought on a new customer, and manufactured Johnsons’ latest fleet additions – it’s always exciting to develop two different products for a customer”.
“The durability enhancements we have incorporated are sure to result in these new rigids and trailers becoming invaluable assets in their network, and they look fantastic in the company’s iconic blue, complemented by the different full-print wraps. It’s been a pleasure to work with Leigh, and we look forward to supporting the customer going forward, through the delivery of their future orders and beyond”, he adds.
Johnsons Hotel Linen plans to introduce an additional thirty-two Tiger rigids to its fleet in Spring 2024, made up of sixteen more DAF, plus sixteen Mercedes-Benz Trucks chassis. Tiger will also be manufacturing a pair of 7.5-tonne rigids for Johnsons’ operation in Northern Ireland.