18th July 2023

Hull-based bakery Jacksons has taken a major step forward in the decarbonisation of its transport fleet with the acquisition of seven compressed natural gas (CNG) powered Scania trucks.  Funded by Scania Financial Services (SFS) on a five year operational lease agreement, each vehicle will cover 200,000 kilometres a year delivering a projected annual carbon dioxide saving of 102 tonnes per truck.

“We decided to use SFS due to the fact that they offered a very competitive pricing structure compared to other financing houses,” comments Sam Michaels, Senior Logistics & Distribution Manager at Jacksons.  “Also, we believe using the manufacturer’s own finance company to supply the finance will add further benefits around product and asset knowledge related to specification, residual values  and HGV market understanding.

“Our relationship with SFS came from our negotiations and vehicle specification stipulation with the Scania sales team. The natural partnership between the manufacturer’s sales and financing teams gave a perfect end-to-end solution. The whole process became so much smoother by keeping it all within the Scania group.  Their sales team and our SFS Business Manager, Angus Wilson and his team worked together to build a detailed understanding of Jacksons’ business needs.”

The acquisition of CNG trucks represents an important element of the carbon reduction programme which is central to Jacksons commitment to sustainability:

“Jacksons, and the wider William Jackson Food Group of which we are part, believe in creating food for a better world,” says Sam Michaels.  “We’re a 171-year-old family business and take our responsibility to people and the planet seriously.  We have targets in place to help demonstrate this, including emissions where we want minimise, and ultimately eliminate, our climate impact.  Our ambition is to achieve  Net Zero across all 3 Scopes of the internationally-recognised Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) by 2050, and ideally well before. We are prioritising ways to accelerate decarbonisation across our own operations and our new CNG trucks help bring us one step closer to our goal.”

Jacksons Scania gas trucks are 4x2 articulated tractor units.  Coupled to the company’s tandem axle trailers they are providing a trunking service between the firm’s bakeries in Hull and Corby to help service its food manufacturing  and food service customers.  In addition, they are making deliveries of Jacksons of Yorkshire branded products to retailers as far afield as Lincolnshire, Warwickshire and Lancashire. 

“With CNG refuelling stations located at Newark, Castleford and Leyland, range is not an issue for us,” comments Sam Michaels.  “Also, we are hoping to see a refuelling station next to our Corby bakery in the near future, which will open up further possibilities as we continue to develop our low-carbon transport operations.”

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