Tiger offers full solution for hire and finance
Trailer and rigid bodywork manufacturer Tiger Trailers has – through its Tiger Finance and Tiger Rentals divisions – provided asset finance, maintenance and full contract hire ever since its first products rolled off the production line back in 2014.
Transport Operator headed an hour westward to visit the company at Winsford in Cheshire, the base of operations for its 270-strong workforce since 2019, to learn more about the solutions it provides to operators.
Jack Cartwright, commercial director, started by sharing: “Tiger Finance has, over the years up to now, funded deals on more than 6,000 trailers via operating lease, hire purchase, and finance lease, from small hauliers to blue chip names, on deals extending up to 10 years in some cases.”
He added: “Tiger Finance is a key division within our business, run in partnership with T&L Leasing, who have decades of experience in financing trailers and trucks for the UK and Irish market.
“Tiger being the manufacturer allows us to put together completely bespoke deals, covering all aspects of the hire term, payments, return conditions and so on. Just like the personalised trailers and rigid bodywork we manufacture, it means that we can also offer customers financial solutions that fit their unique operational requirements and preferences.”
Tiger Finance customers benefit from an extended structural warranty for the duration of the hire period, and receive discounted parts and repair pricing.
Tiger manages maintenance for over 2,000 trailers, of which 800 are currently full contract hire deals with finance, from curtainsiders to refrigerated moving deck double decks, and packages can be tailored to fleets’ exact requirements including service cycle, off-site or on-site servicing, tyre packages and mileage limits.
Darren Holland, sales director, explained: “We have continued to see a year-on-year increase in interest in our contract hire offering, which is understandable because we are unique in being able to offer customers a complete solution of trailer supply, finance and maintenance at very competitive rates direct from ourselves as the manufacturer.
“We have grown our team to ensure each customer has a dedicated account manager for all things maintenance and we provide a live chat function within our bespoke, in-house online customer portal to maximise efficiency of responses to any queries. Customers can easily access service dates, compliance documentation, repair quotes, trailer specifications, brake roller testing, trailer tracking, EBPMS, TPMS where fitted, and parts ordering.”
Among the company’s high-profile contract hire customers is beer and soft drinks producer Carlsberg Britvic. The firm recently took delivery of 37 Tiger trailers on a full contract hire basis, including maintenance, for its primary logistics operations.
The order was split between a trio of fixed double-decks with wraparound rear curtains, and 34 single-deck trailers which are also curtainsided.
The single-deckers showcase some of Carlsberg Britvic’s key beverage brands, including Pepsi Max, Lipton Ice Tea, 7Up, 1664, Robinsons, Tango, Birrificio Angelo Poretti, J2O and Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. The trailers will primarily transport bottles and cans, and at times, large-pack loads such as kegs and casks, to internal sites, NDCs, RDCs, wholesalers, supermarkets, larger festivals and sports grounds.
The three Hobgoblin-branded double-deck trailers feature a fixed three-quarter-length main deck rated at ten tonnes with Expamet steel flooring for added safety and durability, and an additional fixed deck above the neck area, rated at four tonnes. Cargo is secured using three full-height nets fitted to each side, with transverse netting enabled by the under-deck tracks. These trailers will move just-in-time stock around the network for next-day deliveries, from the primary logistics hubs to the secondary operations satellite sites. From here, a 300-strong fleet of rigids, from 3.5t vans to 26t trucks, deliver to pubs, clubs, sporting venues and small festivals.
The drinks firm specified a range of tailored features, including flush-fitting rear doors, various additional grab handles and straps to raise operator safety, plus galvanised components and extra buffers for added durability.
Sarah Perry, Carlsberg Britvic’s VP, customer supply chain, said: “In addition to Tiger’s reputation for high quality products and strong customer service, we were also impressed by its sustainability agenda – which includes investing in energy efficiency, planting one tree for every trailer ordered, and its community road safety activities. We are very pleased with the finished vehicles.”
Thomas Stott, key account director at Tiger Trailers, added: “Manufacturing trailers for transporting some of the world’s best-known alcoholic and soft drinks is a privilege and we’re very pleased to welcome Carlsberg Britvic as a Tiger customer following their tendering decision to choose us as their new supplier for these build contracts.
“The new liveries they designed for these latest curtainsiders look fantastic. We look forward to supporting the Carlsberg Britvic team going forward with our range of aftercare services.”
Carlsberg Britvic’s 37 new Tiger trailers entered the drinks firm’s network via its Burton-on-Trent site initially – with the double-decks set to haul between internal secondary depots, and the single-decks destined for duty anywhere from Scotland to Cornwall, joining its primary logistics fleet comprising 50 tractor units, 120 trailers and eight tankers.
Tiger also has a spot hire fleet, which operates under the Tiger Rentals name, comprising mainly of double deck trailers, parcel specification box van trailers, and standard pillarless curtainsiders, all available for short to long term hire.
Tiger Rentals’ solutions are often turned to by new trailer customers wishing to trial products prior to commitment, or simply to augment their fleet while their tailored products are being built.
Through its Tiger Parts division, the company also offers impress stock packages to ensure parts availability. Alongside its UK-wide network of service partners it has its own mobile technicians to respond to urgent needs. Next-day delivery is provided as standard for many components, and during 2026 Tiger Parts plans to roll out a same-day delivery option.
