Logistics firm Stiller Warehousing & Distribution has invested £1.7m in a fleet of 20 new vehicles to keep their truckers motoring millions of miles around the country.

Newton Aycliffe-based Stiller has refreshed its fleet of 45 trucks with 20 new Mercedes Actros tractor units, each rated for 44-tonne gross vehicle weight operation.

The family-run firm’s vehicles each cover around 95,000 miles a year, totalling 4.3 million miles covering the length and breadth of the UK.

To maintain efficiency, as well as safety for drivers, Stiller’s latest trucks are powered by second-generation Euro 6 engines and come fully-equipped with the latest safety features, including radar emergency stop-assist which senses oncoming traffic and automatically brakes.

All vehicles also have a recording accident camera set-up fitted along with fixed vehicle phones and GPS trackers, while specially-made full-width vehicle ‘catwalks’ have also been installed, which provide a safer working environment for the drivers when they’re hitching up their trailers.

Stiller is also spending a further £200,000 refurbishing 50,000 square foot of warehousing space to modern standards, including repairing and enhancing the floor, painting and recladding internals and installing modern LED lighting.

Once completed the unit will create extra palletised storage space for Stiller which is already close to capacity at its 22-acre Newton Aycliffe site.

Earlier this year, Stiller completed work on a £2m 40,000 square foot palletised distribution centre, which improved its vehicle loading times.

Stiller’s latest investment in equipment, people and facilities – including two new warehouses costing more than £1.8m between them – takes the company’s total spend to almost £11m in the last three years.

More about Stiller can be found at www.stiller.co.uk