North East Truck & Van

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by North East Truck & Van's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from North East Truck & Van is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.northeasttruckandvan.com

1NORTH EAST TRUCK & VAN |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Chairman and Managing

Director Sandy McDonald and

Finance Director John McDonald

North East Truck & Van’s

dealership in Blaydon-on-

Tyne

North East Truck & Van was founded in March 1969

as a small independent truck-servicing workshop in

Sunderland. Fifty years on, following relocation, growth

and periods of significant change, it is one of the largest

independent commercial vehicle dealer groups in the UK. It

operates seven sites across the North and North East of England,

ranging from Blaydon in the North, down the east coast to

Lincoln and across west to Carlisle, and holds franchises for

Iveco, MAN, Fiat Professional and LDV. Finance Director John

McDonald elaborates on his team’s work and discusses how the

company has diversified.

In 1973, we were appointed as one of the first DAF Truck franchisees in the

country, and in 1975 our current headquarters in Billingham, County Durham,

became the first dedicated DAF Truck dealership in the UK. Further changes

continued to come along, and 1987 saw the merger of Leyland and DAF. At that

time, we were granted the newly combined Leyland DAF franchise for both our

Billingham and Blaydon sites, the latter of which had opened the previous year.

Customer service and quality are the cornerstones on which our company was

founded, and our dedication and focus on continuous improvement are one of

the main reasons for our success. March 1990 saw us achieve BS 5750/ISO 9002

accreditation, the first motor dealer in the UK to do so, and only the second in

Europe to meet the quality standard. Later that same year, we were acclaimed

Motor Transport

magazine’s Dealer of the Year, an honour we received again in

2005 – making us the only dealer to have ever been awarded the accolade twice.

FACTS ABOUT

NORTH EAST TRUCK & VAN

»Chairman and Managing

Director: Sandy McDonald

»Finance Director:

JohnMcDonald

»Founded in 1969

»Based in Billingham,

County Durham, with seven

dealerships in total across the

North and North East

»Services: Sales, servicing,

maintenance, repair,

engineering and supply of

spare parts for commercial

vehicles

»No. of employees: Currently

233

»www.northeasttruckandvan.com

North East Truck & Van

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| NORTH EAST TRUCK & VAN

A seismic shift

February 1993 saw the unfortunate

collapse of Leyland DAF, and there

followed a period of rapid and

fundamental change for the company

as we sought to secure our future and

that of our then-230 employees.

To that end, in April 1993, we secured

the Iveco Ford Truck franchise, now

just known as Iveco, for the North

East. This move presented a major

challenge as we adapted to a new

product range, processes and partners,

but despite the change in marque,

our history of providing high levels

of customer satisfaction meant our

customers remained loyal and the sales

successes achieved under Leyland DAF

continued with Iveco.

Since adopting the Iveco brand, we

have gone from strength to strength.

We have rapidly expanded to a total

of seven sites and now cover an

area of over 10,000 square miles

and continue to deliver a quality,

reliable and market-leading service to

ourcustomers.

We believe in adding value to our

customers’ business operations, and

as such, over the past 50 years, we

have evolved the range of products

and services we offer them. This

process of diversification has enabled

us to grow while bringing more of the

variables involved in the vehicle life

cycle under our control, enabling us to

become a comprehensive solution for

customerneeds.

Sustainable transport

The significant pressure on the motor

industry as a whole in relation to

carbon emissions, clean air zones

and a reduction in the use of diesel

fuel has been well reported. The

challenge for us as a dealer – restricted

in some senses by the products our

manufacturers develop – is to adapt

to these changes and see them as an

opportunity, rather than a threat.

There is, and will continue to be for

some considerable time, an argument

as to what the alternative, sustainable

fuel for the HGV sector should be –

some believe in natural gas and others

electricity – and it is an argument

that is dividing the manufacturers in

themarket.

Iveco have been working towards

building a viable natural gas-powered

vehicle for over 20 years and have

successfully brought a full line-up

of natural gas-powered vehicles to

market – ranging from 3.5-tonne vans

to 44-tonne trucks. These vehicles emit

significantly fewer pollutants than their

One of North East Truck

& Van’s technicians

running diagnostic tests

with state-of-the-art

equipment

Customer

service and

quality are the

cornerstones

on which our

company was

founded

“

EXTRA FACTS

»Accredited in March 1990

with BS 5750/ISO 9002. First

motor dealer in the UK to

achieve such an accreditation,

and the second in Europe

»NETV is the only two-time

winner of the Motor Transport

Dealer of the Year Award

1990 and 2005 respectively

»Celebrated 50 years in

business in March 2019

3NORTH EAST TRUCK & VAN |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

diesel counterparts and, with an ever-

growing network of refuelling stations

in the UK, are proving to be a viable

alternative to diesel fuel for operators.

Filling the skills gap

The service and repair of heavy

commercial vehicles is one of the areas

of greatest strength and reputation

for our business. This is a reflection

of the dedication and commitment

of our skilled, experienced and well-

trained team. We currently employ

75 technicians across our seven sites,

including two apprentices, and invest

roughly £250,000 annually in training

and development to ensure that our

team are kept up to date and equipped

with the knowledge they need to excel

in their role.

With each passing year, however,

our ability to recruit additional or

replacement technicians for our

workshops diminishes, not because

people do not want to work for us

in particular, but rather thanks to a

pervasive skills shortage. Simply put,

there are very few new individuals and

school leavers entering the industry.

Some suggest that this is because ours

is no longer an attractive industry to

work in. Arguably, in a time where

you have the ability to earn significant

sums of money through working in a

comfortable office with a computer,

the prospect of crawling under a truck

on an evening isn’t at first glance an

enticing one. Despite this perception,

however, ours is a varied, interesting

and rewarding industry to be

involved in. Additionally, the previous

government’s emphasis on pushing

school leavers through university as

opposed to vocational qualifications

has likely had a significant impact.

Attracting young people to

the industry

Historically, apprenticeships have been

the main route for youngsters entering

the industry, but in recent years the

number of apprentices has significantly

dwindled. The apprenticeship

levy serves as a way to promote

placements, but in an industry like

ours where apprenticeships are

commonplace it is largely irrelevant as

an incentive.

Moreover, the issue in our industry

is largely not that the apprenticeship

placements aren’t out there, but more

that there are not enough applicants

to fill them.

Without sufficient careers advice in

schools to educate school leavers as

to the varied opportunities out there,

and the many benefits of taking up an

apprenticeship in an industry like ours,

then we will not improve application

rates, and this is ultimately where the

challenge lies.

Both ourselves and the manufacturers

with whom we partner are looking

closely at how we can make our

apprenticeships more enticing through

incentive schemes and effective

marketing. If the same message is not

being promoted in schools, however,

then this will continue to be a difficult

obstacle to overcome.

Simply put,

there are very

few new

individuals and

school leavers

entering the

industry

“

Iveco Stralis NP, Iveco’s

natural gas powered

tractor unit

www.northeasttruckandvan.com

This article was sponsored by North East Truck & Van. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Michael Gove.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster