In welcome news for UK haulage companies with drivers regularly delivering loads to, from and around Wales, oil distributor Oil 4 Wales has launched a new 24-hour truck stop at its Brecon depot, providing a much-needed facility for the local transport industry.
A Family Affair
Oil 4 Wales is a family-run company that has grown exponentially to become the leading provider of petroleum products in the country, turning over around £50m in its first year and £110m in its latest financial results. Managing Director Colin Owens enjoys a long history in the oil industry: he established Owen Fuels in 1991 and built it up to a turnover of £350m a year before selling to Texaco in 1997. The family wanted to establish an authentic Welsh brand, believing that as major oil companies pull out of “downstream supply”, the door is opened to small independents to capitalise on the ability to offer a more community-based service.
As well as supplying products to the commercial, domestic and agricultural markets, Oil 4 Wales has plans to establish a chain of retail garages across south, mid and north Wales, and has invested more than £500m into the local community at truck stops in Maesteg and Powys. The company employs a large staff across its depots in Wales and contributes generously to charitable agricultural projects in support of the local farming industry.
The company’s development of the Brecon truck stop is a true passion project, with Director Sally Owens expressing their personal pride at being able to provide such a vital facility for the region.
The Brecon Truck Stop
With over £70m of investment, the Three Cocks site at Brecon is already proving itself to be an invaluable service for local haulage companies and independent lorry drivers. The fuelling facility provides Adblue, diesel and red diesel via the pumps, with Oil 4 Wales declaring their aim to support and service not only haulage companies, but also vehicles used in the local agricultural industry. The Brecon region is heavily utilised by the transport industry and the availability of 24-hour fuel is a much-anticipated and long overdue service.
In the interests of optimum convenience, the truck stop accepts all versions of fuelcards across the widely used Keyfuels system. For haulage companies or drivers who currently do not use a Keyfuel fuel card, Oil 4 Wales has ensured that obtaining the free card is easy through their dedicated department. (The Oil 4 Wales Fuel Card Department can be contacted on 02920 674917.)
A Positive Development for the Transport Industry
The 24-hour fuelling facility at the redeveloped Brecon truck stop is a very positive development for anyone making a living doing delivery work in the greater Welsh region. The immediate and overwhelming take-up of the facility suggests that investments into the local infrastructure by companies like Oil 4 Wales not only benefit the transport industry, but the entire community. Industry stalwarts are hoping that the Welsh model’s success story will encourage investors to develop similar facilities across the country.
Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage companies or self-employed drivers with jobs in road transport and haulage work. Over 4,800 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe ‘wholesale’ environment.
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