New contract marks ten-year anniversary for Totalkare and Dorset County Council

TotalKare, the UK’s number one supplier of heavy-duty vehicle lifting solutions, is celebrating a decade of working with Dorset County Council.

The organisation’s Fleet Services division will continue to use the Halesowen-based company’s range of lifts to service its diverse fleet of vehicles at sites in Charminster and Ferndown, ranging from cars to eight wheeled, 32-tonne vehicles.

This partnership has helped the Council improve health and safety and reduce costs as part of its critical role in maintaining public services through its “Working together for a strong and successful Dorset” programme.

The Council’s Fleet Services first introduced Totalkare lifts into its depots in 2008 following concerted market research, which led to a comprehensive equipment replacement programme that was completed over the last 10 years.

“There were several reasons for choosing Totalkare in the beginning,” said Martin Downton, Fleet Operations Manager.

“Back in 2008, we’d suffered a considerable number of trips and falls in the workshop, resulting in lost working hours. This was often due to cables on the shop floor creating a hazard and, to compound the issue, the maintenance cost to replace damaged wires and cables was substantial.

“We initially took a set of four cable free S6CF mobile column lifts from Totalkare on a trial basis. At first there was some scepticism from the guys in the workshop, who were resistant to change and not convinced a set of mobile column lifts would be as reliable as a four post lift.

“However, as soon as the lifts were in situ, the engineers loved their flexibility and the cable free design meant there were no cables to damage or trip over, improving our health and safety records as a result. The reduction in the trips related to column lifts (which averaged a couple of instances each month) have been totally eradicated since the lift replacement programme.

“This ultimately led to the replacement programme being accelerated and further sets of mobile column lifts being added to the initial set of S6CFs.”

Dorset County Council’s Fleet Services has no fewer than eight sets of Totalkare mobile column lifts across its two sites – several sets of S6CFs and the latest T8DC models.  Furthermore, the Charminster depot boasts a 25-tonne four post lift, light vehicle adaptors for the mobile column lifts and numerous support stands.

“We enjoy a positive relationship with Totalkare , who have always been very responsive and supportive when any issue arises,” added Martin.

“Staff are friendly, efficient and what has always impressed us is the quality of service it offers – its team of engineers are knowledgeable and helpful, responding quickly when we need support.

“This is echoed by Totalkare’s office staff. The information we get from them is precise, clear and matched by the engineer(s) on site. It makes my life easier as Fleet Operations Manager…if the guys in the workshop are happy, I’m happy!”

James Radford, Sales & Marketing Director for Totalkare, concluded: “Fleet Services plays a vital role in “Keeping Dorset Moving” ensuring the Dorset County Council fleet of vehicles are properly maintained.

“We have been providing comprehensive, quick-response support to the organisation for the last decade, ensuring its portfolio of mobile column and four post lift equipment is properly and regularly serviced and ultimately fit for purpose.

“It is a pleasure to be celebrating our ten-year anniversary of working with Dorset County Councils Fleet Services and we look forward to supporting them for the next decade and beyond.”