Peak Oil

PEAK

PERFORMANCE

Innovation. It’s an oft-used word – one that conjures ideas of commitment, nous and an undeterred enthusiasm to create the best. We often see it in the road haulage industry too. Whether it is the advent of the diesel engine in the late 1800s, right through to today’s incredible driver assistance systems that help to make our roads safer for all.

Words: Ronnie Hitchens Photographs: Karl Hopkinson

Most of the Peak Oil fleet is specced with rear-wheel steering

Innovation also links Peak Oil, its long-standing truck manufacturer of choice, and the product responsible for changing the face of the business – HVO.

Demand for HVO has grown steadily in the last couple of years, and recent interest in the alternative fuel has picked up significantly. Also known as renewable diesel, HVO is produced by reacting plant and animal-based oils at high pressures and temperatures. The resulting fuel uses completely renewable raw materials and can deliver up to a 90% reduction in ‘well-to-wheel’ carbon dioxide emissions.

Early beginnings

Rewinding the clock back by half a century, long before HVO was on the scene, it was traditional fuels and oils that helped Neil’s father, Tom, to grow the Peak Oil business.

“He started out as a salesman for a major engine oil and lubricant brand,” explains Neil. “His area of operation had always been focused on Manchester, Stockport and the Pennines generally. They offered him a new role in London, which he didn’t want, and that was the motivation he needed to start out on his own. He rented storage and a tanker from a friend who’d done the same thing the year before and signed a petrol contract with a recognisable oil company.

“A little over a year later,” he says, “the Yom Kippur war led to the ’73 oil crisis. But his supplier continued to honour the deal, and Peak Oil became one of the only retailers in the area to have a regular supply of petrol. That’s when the business really found its feet and secured some long-lasting custom.”

Tom’s first rented truck, a Ford, was superseded in 1974 with the arrival of Peak Oil’s first brand new truck. It was a Commer. Their next truck, a Leyland, set the tone. From that point on, Peak Oil has only ever bought Leyland and DAF machinery.

Changing climate

It’s not just Peak Oil’s line-up of Leyland and DAF models that have changed over the years. The Derbyshirebased business has adapted and evolved organically as a consequence of market pressures, supply, and customer demand. “Ultimately, the business was built on selling petrol and paraffin for gas lamps,” admits Neil. “Today, of course, we’ve moved on. We stopped selling petrol when the supermarkets started, as our customer base was the small independent garages. Now we sell diesel and kerosene, but I suspect the demand for diesel will drop in the next few years.

“I started using HVO for the first time in my car to see how it would perform. Not only was it good for the environment, but I also saw the efficiency benefits. We began supplying it to a few customers, and the demand was strong,” Neil says.

The positive response from businesses resulted in Peak Oil establishing a forecourt in Chesterfield, supplying customers on a pay-as-you-go basis with payments taken on credit or debit cards.

Neil adds, “We’ve got to clean up the environment and reduce our emissions. I’ve got three young children, and when they turn to you and say, ‘what are we going to do about the planet’, it hits home. I think, for the time being, this could be the future.

“The beauty of it is that it’s a drop-in fuel,” he says, “There’s no need for any extra infrastructure and no need to flush the system or clean out any tanks. It can be totally interchangeable and mixable with diesel, which means you can run a truck on it outbound and fill-up with diesel enroute for the return leg. I prefer to call it renewable diesel as there’s no guarantee that it’s made solely with vegetable oil. It is always made using renewable, fossil-free oils, though.”

Long service

Unsurprisingly, HVO is the fuel of choice for Peak Oil’s fleet of 16 DAFs. With every modern DAF diesel engine capable of running on HVO, Neil found the switch to be simple and pain-free.

“It was smooth sailing and it had an immediate effect on reducing the environmental impact of our fleet,” Neil says. “Customers love that we use it, and we’re definitely sensing that big businesses want to work with environmental-conscious suppliers. It can be the difference between winning and losing an RFQ,” he says.

Of the 16 rigid DAF tankers, three 32-tonne and eight 26-tonne DAF CFs make up the majority of the fleet. A further five 12-tonne DAF LFs complete the line-up. In an average year, Peak Oil purchases two or three new trucks, each supplied by the DAF Dealer Motus Commercials in Derby. At the time of writing, Peak was due to welcome a new 12-tonne DAF LF later that week.

DAF Driver was keen to understand why Neil, and his father Tom, have been and continue to stay loyal to the brand.

“Innovation,” he claims. “Every truck I take delivery of is better than the last. It’s our drivers’ office, their desk. They are in and out of them every day, on multiple drop work, so it needs to be a comfortable, decent place to spend their shift.

“With the market for drivers as it is,” Neil adds, “we can’t expect them to use outof-date vehicles. We’re competing for their services, and one of our key points when I’m selling the job to drivers is that they will be driving a new, top-end truck. If they’re currently in a role where they don’t have that luxury, we find it’s a big draw.”

Supplied as chassis by DAF, bespokebuilt tanks are manufactured and fitted

Peak Oil runs 16 DAF rigid tankers fitted with TASCA Tankers bodywork and MechTronic pumping equipment.

to each vehicle by TASCA Tankers in Wakefield. Pumping equipment is provided by Leeds-based MechTronic.

Ticking boxes

“Being based in and around the Peak District means we spec our trucks differently to some others,” Neil says. “With lots of hills, we need maximum performance, so each truck’s own fuel tank is relatively small. It’s not a problem as they’re coming in and out of the depot throughout the day. Some also have a shorter wheelbase to aid with manoeuvrability, and we tend to opt for rear-wheel steering. The specification will also vary depending on the business need at the time,” says Neil.

Neil is also impressed by the service afforded by recent incumbents to Chesterfield, the DAF Dealer group Ford & Slater. Prior to their arrival, Peak Oil had a very strong relationship with its predecessors, A Herring.

“DAF simply ticks all the boxes for us,” he says. “The fuel economy is really good, especially running HVO. We’ve had a repair and maintenance contract with DAF for as long as they’ve been offered. I know what the costs are going to be every month, and the fleet is dealt with exceptionally. If we do have a breakdown, which happens from time to time, I know that the vehicle will be recovered safely and that all being well, it’ll be back out on the road the next day.

“What’s more,” adds Neil, “they hold their value really well. I tend to sell them outright after five or six years. We’ll often receive enquiries from foreign operators. I think it’s because people are confident that they’ll get plenty more life out of a DAF.”

While DAF has been a key contributor to the success of Peak Oil, Neil is keen to highlight the role his team continue to play. Some have been working for the business for more than three decades.

“We pride ourselves on our service,” he says. “Our staff take huge pride in their work and are enthused about meeting the needs of our customers. Just like DAF, we have to be innovative. It’s all about evolving, adapting and reacting to every challenge we face. For every challenge, however, it’s important to remember that there’s often an opportunity.”