Truckman resumes hardtop production after COVID-19 lockdown as order levels rebound following reopening of car dealerships

Having paused its manufacturing operations for the period of the government-directed lockdown during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, the company has implemented a range of additional safety procedures and protocols to ensure the safety of its workforce, while maintaining productivity in its 15,000sq ft factory.

Its UK-designed and built pick-up truck canopies are utilised in sectors such as utilities, construction, agriculture and emergency services and the company works closely with a wide range of customers including car manufacturers, dealership networks, fleet operators, SMEs and private vehicle owners.

Since the start of the month the Dudley-based company has seen calls to its contact centre double and seen sales return to 70 percent of its usual levels at this time of the year.

To manage this increasing level of activity, Truckman implemented COVID prevention measures in its headquarters building to ensure its workforce can meet demand from its customers in a safe environment.

With 120,000sq ft of space at its headquarters, which also includes an extensive warehousing provision, Truckman is able to maintain a safe environment for its 85-strong workforce and has instituted two-metre social distancing and sanitizing stations for staff and visitors, along with additional cleaning schedules.

During this period, Truckman has also adapted its business with the provision of additional warehousing space to manage imported stock ordered prior to the lockdown.

The 800 hardtops and accessories, part of Truckman’s long lead time supply chain, were transported from the Far East and are being stored in 12,000sq ft of temporary warehouse in Dudley. Truckman expects to vacate the premises in the next couple of months as it begins to fulfil new orders.

Mike Wheeler, Executive Chairman of Truckman, said: “We are pleased to resume production of our hardtops along with starting to return our office-based operations at our facilities in West Midlands. The reopening of motor dealerships has triggered a flurry of activity for our team with the number of sales calls doubling. We are also pleasantly surprised that sales have rebounded quickly to around 70 percent of their usual levels, which is a positive sign for the future.

This has been a challenging time for all businesses, but our team have worked hard during this period to ensure that we can deliver the best possible service to our customers while continuing to maintain the safety and wellbeing of our people, which is already our main priority.”