Sykes Seafood reels in 46 new DAFs

Frozen fish and seafood supplier Sykes Seafood has taken delivery of 46 new DAF trucks and six Gray & Adams fridge semi-trailers.

The Cheshire-based firm has refreshed its fleet with 40 LF 290 rigids fitted with Gray & Adams refrigerated bodies, and six New Generation DAF XF 480 tractor units.

The company has also taken delivery of four fridge trailers and two double-deck fridges as it scales up operations following the opening of a new multimillion-pound HQ in Warrington and its recent takeover of Ruskim Seafoods.

Supplied via Asset Alliance, the new vehicles join Sykes Seafood’s fleet of 90 trucks and trailers and will work out of its 167,000 sq ft site in Warrington, its seafood processing facility in Liverpool, and cold store and distribution hub in Manchester.

With depots in Motherwell, Newcastle, Telford, Wakefield and Warminster, the firm will use the trucks and trailers to transport frozen seafood to retail and food service industries across the UK.

“After investing in a new HQ and warehouse, it was the perfect time for our business to update the fleet we acquired from Ruskim Seafoods to help accelerate our expansion plans,” said Alan Livingston, senior group UK transport manager at Sykes Seafood.

Sykes Seafood said they opted for the DAF trucks, which are all backed by a service and maintenance agreement as part of the deal, due to their proven reliability and fuel economy.

The Gray & Adams double-deck fridge trailers, which have multi-temperature functionality, will allow the business to load up to 44 pallets on each vehicle – a 70% increase in capacity over standard trailers.

Founded in 1862, Sykes Seafood sells over 600 products across 110 species, specialising in supplying cold and warm water shrimp to various market sectors in the UK.