Asset Alliance Group supplies new trucks to McCulloch Rail

Asset Alliance Group has supplied McCulloch Rail with six new trucks under the rail infrastructure specialist’s first contract hire agreement with the commercial vehicle finance provider.

The deal comprises one DAF XG 530 and five Iveco Daily 7.2-tonne trucks, replacing older vehicles within McCulloch Rail’s 50-strong fleet.

Kilmarnock-based McCulloch Rail specialises in the renewal, replacement and repair of the UK rail network, transporting specialist plant and equipment to sites across the country. Its main vehicle depot is in Doncaster, where most of the new trucks will be based.

The company has traditionally purchased its vehicles but has moved to contract hire in response to rising new truck prices, higher testing and workshop costs and the need to minimise vehicle downtime.

David Hume, Transport Manager at McCulloch Rail, said: “It is a necessity for our business to be able to deliver our plant equipment trackside, often at irregular hours during the night and at weekends in all weathers. Using Asset Alliance Group provides us with backup and an essential buffer to ensure we can do this.”

The contract hire package includes repair and maintenance, tyres excluding accidental damage, and like-for-like replacement vehicles where required, in return for a fixed monthly payment.

McCulloch Rail transports specialist equipment including Trac Rail Transposers, Unimogs and Panel Lifter Systems, which are used to remove, install and lift sections of railway track and signalling equipment.

While 44-tonne tractor units such as the DAF remain an important part of its fleet, the five new 176hp 4×2 Iveco Daily vehicles represent a move to a higher weight category.

According to McCulloch Rail, additional equipment and safety features have increased the weight of 3.5-tonne vehicles in recent years, making it more difficult to achieve the payload required for its operations.

Hume said: “We’ve worked closely with Dougie Bennett at Asset Alliance Group, and by stepping up to 7.2-tonnes we’re able to get two pieces of plant onto each truck. That will mean fewer journeys and less CO2 emitted.”

The Iveco vehicles feature modified crew cabs to provide additional driver comfort and storage, together with dropside bodies and aluminium ramps to support the loading and unloading of equipment.

The agreement gives McCulloch Rail access to additional maintenance and replacement vehicle support as it looks to improve fleet reliability while managing its vehicle costs.