Swindon transport firm, Les Smith Haulage, is marking its 50th year in business by investing £4 million to meet increased service demand. As one of the largest, local independent haulage companies, it was founded by Les Smith and today is run by sons Tony, Danny and Nick.
Based across three sites in Swindon, including its new head office in South Marston, the company has invested in ten fleet renewals and upgrades. This includes four fully-branded rigid trucks and six Mercedes units to upgrade the existing fleet. Increasing the number of its vehicles to 52 allows Les Smith to handle an uptick in business, growing volumes and expanded postcode areas. Services offered include UK-wide next day delivery, general haulage, Moffett truck delivery and pallet network services.
The investment coincides with the company’s 50th business anniversary, four of which have been as a member of Palletways UK, Europe’s largest express palletised freight network. The company operates across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, including deliveries in and around the conurbations of Swindon and Hungerford. Approximately 1400 pallets every week are collected and delivered for Palletways, ranging from single pallets to large scale consignments.
Nick Smith, Director of Les Smith Haulage, said “This is a monumental year for us and, despite what continues to be challenging times within the logistics industry, we grow and expand as a business. Our 72-strong team are fundamental to our success, every single person is vital to our longevity.”
Les Smith came to Swindon from London in 1965 and started working as a coalman for the Gorse Hill firm of Stallards. When they closed the haulage side of their business an opportunity was created for Les to start up on his own with one of their redundant trucks. Les’s reputation for straight dealing and meeting his promises soon paid off and the business steadily grew with an increasing number of local firms depending on Les Smith Haulage for the reliable delivery of their goods. Today Les Smith delivers to all corners of the UK mainland for many of Swindon’s most prominent firms.
The new vehicles have a Euro 6 engine specification which meets the latest emission requirements. The tractor units are the most recent models on the market with improved aerodynamics, internal cab space and safety and energy efficiency features.
Rob Gittins, Managing Director of Palletways UK adds: “Les Smith is a great asset to the network and their success over the past 50 years is to be celebrated. We work closely with their management team to grow our presence in these counties, and this has paid off with Les Smith recently taking on additional postcode areas and responsibilities with us.”
Les Smith Haulage is one of over 120 independent transport providers that are part of the Palletways UK network. They benefit from shared expertise and resources from within the group to deliver consignments of palletised freight to market faster and more cost-effectively than ever before. The Palletways Group, renowned for its industry-leading IT developments and operational systems, comprises 450+ depots and 20 hub operations, through which it provides collection and distribution services across 24 European countries, including the UK.
