PowerTorque’s European Correspondent, Will Shiers, meets a switched-on 20-something-year-old British haulier, whose family firm has an amazing past, and an even brighter future.
When I last dropped into Campeys of Selby’s yard in North Yorkshire in 2021, I found an impressively turned-out 78-strong all-Scania fleet. The company had been loyal to the Swedish brand for years, and at the time had no plans to change that. However, two years is a long time in haulage, as I was about to find out.
The general haulier has embarked on a rapid expansion programme, and by the time you read this, will be operating 135 trucks and 250-plus semi-trailers. What’s more, while Scania is still the mainstay of the fleet, the last 24 months has seen the arrival of some interlopers.
“It’s good to play the truck manufacturers off against each other,” Campey told me, while we recorded a Torquing Trucks podcast in the cab of an Iveco S-Way. “When we were 100 per cent Scania we would ask for the price of a truck, and they knew that we would place the order. But now we won’t.”
In addition to six S-WAYs and one Stralis, are 10 new DAF XGs and the UK’s first battery-powered DAF LF 19-tonner. And any day now they’ll be joined by 10 Volvo FHs. At this point I feel the need to explain something. While Harry is in his twenties, don’t for one second let that fool you into thinking he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Yes he’s the boss’s son, but trust me, he’s in his current job role because he’s earned it.
Rewind the clock a decade, and 18-year-old Harry was all set for a career as a racing car engineer at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix. However, cut backs meant he was soon made redundant. He decided his best option would be to return to Selby, get his truck licence, and then find a job driving trucks for a race team.
“But instead I fell in love with working for the family firm, so when I was asked to go back full time into the industry, I refused,” says Harry. Then followed four years of truck driving, including European work, before moving into the traffic office. “I wanted to stay on the road, and didn’t want to be a pen-pusher. But then I did a week’s holiday cover as a transport planner, and loved it.”
Since then, Harry has contributed a lot towards the success of the firm, which has seen its fleet increase from 20 to 135 trucks since his involvement.
Back to today, and I was keen to know how the drivers felt about swapping Scanias for Ivecos, as the words ‘chalk’ and ‘cheese’ sprung to mind.
“There was some initial resistance towards them,” admits Harry. “However, the difference between the S-Way and the Stralis is huge. They’re a fantastic looking truck, and represent a massive leap forwards. The interior is much better too, and the drivers are very happy with them.”
All seven Ivecos are CNG-powered, and while the Stralis is a 4×2, the S-WAYs are all 6x2s.
