Our goal was to ensure that each customer’s order is delivered in a lorry that not only meets their needs, but also exceeds their expectations. Today, we’re sharing with you something a little different - the untold story of how we made that goal possible.

Step 1: Ordering The Lorry

Choosing the right lorry to order was a crucial part of the process. We had to consider multiple elements of our delivery process that would make the perfect lorry for the job. Firstly, we needed to consider the weight load we’d have to account for when completing future orders. Secondly, the distance timber would need to be lifted, on and off the lorry. But we also needed to ensure convenience for our drivers, something able to fit in slightly tighter spaces as we don’t always know how easy it’s going to be for our driver to get the lorry to the delivery location. Once we decided on a lorry that could do it all, it was time to order it.

Step 2: Fitting The Crane

The crane was by far the most exciting part for us. Up until this point, our delivery drivers were offloading every single delivery by hand. No matter how long it took, no matter how heavy the load, they only ever had themselves and the generous help of our customers to get the timber safely off the lorry and into the hands of our consumers. Although it’s a job our drivers are more than happy to do, when it comes to those larger orders, it’s tiring work to say the least. That’s why this crane meant so much to us. It was about to bring so much ease to our delivery process and also allow us to take on those much larger orders.

Step 3: Designing The Lorry Bed

Probably an obvious part of this process was designing the actual bed the timber is going to sit on. It’s not all about the new, marvellous crane and the truck, but there also has to be a secure and adaptable place for the timber to be transported in. We needed to ensure a bed that would keep timber safe throughout the journey, but would also be easy to fit the timber from the bed to the crane.

Step 4: Having The Bed Fitted

And once the perfect design for the bed was decided on, it was time to fit it. The lorry was really starting to come together now, and we were more excited than ever before to be getting this long-awaited project completed!

Step 5: Getting Beacons, Safety Systems & Cameras Installed

Amongst all the excitement, we still had to remember to put safety first. Fitting flashing beacons, lights and cameras were all an integral part in making our Hiab lorry a safe drive for not only our drivers, but anyone else on the road too.

Step 6: Designing The Vehicle Graphics

Now this part we got to have some fun with. It was time to make this lorry our own by taking our beloved Southgate Timber colours and designing something eye catching and memorable. We wanted people to be able to take a glimpse at this lorry, even from afar, and know that Southgate Timber is here. Something vibrant and bold, a way to make our mark. We played around with it for a while until eventually, we got the design exactly where we wanted it to be.

Step 7: Fitting The Vehicle Graphics

It was time to bring the goal of ‘delivering timber in style’ to life. Our iconic green flowed throughout the entirety of the lorry, not just on the truck but the bed too. The design included a scannable barcode to direct people to our website, our contact information, and our social media icons including our excellent Trustpilot rating. Of course, we had to make space for our logo and for an extra touch, we had the bed fully wrapped in a wooded background.

14 Months Later: Delivery Day

And finally, the wait was over! The project was complete, and we had our very first Hiab lorry. It was time to start making those big deliveries and showing off our brand-new truck.

So now you now the hidden operations of what makes our delivery system so successful. And that’s just Hiab lorry, we’ve got a whole fleet of vehicles that have all undergone their very own, unique creation. There’s so much more to making a delivery process than just transporting the timber from us to you. A lot of time and consideration is taken into meeting your needs and completing your order. We hope this story has now given you that extra bit of reassurance on just how easy and simple our order process is. You’re provided with excellent customer care and a seamless experience from the moment you place that order, all the way down to the second it arrives at your kerbside.

So, order today and you never know, you just might get to see that Hiab lorry in action!