Leyland Trucks marks manufacturing milestone

The 10,000th PACCAR bodied truck rolled off the Lancashire assembly line recently, as Leyland Trucks marks another major manufacturing milestone in its 124-year history.

A DAF LF 180 was driven off the line, destined to join customer Hallam Express’ growing national fleet – a Sheffield-headquartered, market leader in logistics.

Jon Tinsley, bodybuilding and re-engineering manager for Leyland Trucks, joined his colleagues from the bodybuilding team, Leyland MD, Brennan Gourdie and David Simpson, MD of Hallam Express, to celebrate the milestone.

Jon said: “Reaching this landmark production figure is a huge achievement for everyone here at Leyland Trucks, and to have the opportunity to meet the customer in person allows us to highlight our team’s passion and commitment for building quality trucks that are bespoke to individual needs.

“Our bodybuilding production provides one of the best opportunities to feel that connection with the customer, as it’s the point in the process where a complete truck comes to life and enables you to understand its end use, particularly with our retail clients. 

“I’ve been part of this team for the last 13 years, with my total career at Leyland Trucks spanning more than two decades. The type of body that we deliver today has completely transformed over recent years, with around 80 per cent of clients now requesting some form of customisation, making almost every bodied truck that we produce truly unique.”

Leyland Trucks operates from one of Europe’s most advanced assembly facilities in the heart of South Ribble, with the truck manufacturer’s 86-acre site producing the full range of DAF products.

The company’s 1,000+ workforce has the capacity to produce up to 12 trucks per hour, with over one third exported to more than 50 countries across the globe. In the UK, DAF has been the market share leader of trucks over 6T for 25 years.

Dean Winder, key operator at Leyland Trucks, said: “I’ve been with the business for more than a decade, first working at the very start of the body line, and milestones like this provide us with opportunities to celebrate and really reinforce the family culture throughout Leyland Trucks. 

“We’re all in it for the long haul, working together to continuously improve and become more efficient in producing the best commercial vehicles.

“In the last 12 months, we’ve had more than 3,000 people tour our operations at Leyland, including customers, schools and more.  To showcase our abilities as a skilled workforce of local people is always a proud moment for everyone involved.”

Leyland has a rich manufacturing history, with the company building trucks in the town since 1896, where the Lancashire Steam Motor Company was founded to sell its original products, which included a 1.5 tonne capacity steam powered van.

Leyland Trucks remains at the forefront of innovation in trucks designed to transport goods, with its advanced lean manufacturing assembly plant building on the experience and dedication of generations of truck building expertise.