Collaboration at the heart of our partnership with East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Covering a staggering 920 square miles and responsible for more than 1 million waste collections every month, East Riding of Yorkshire Council has the difficult task of maintaining vital waste management services over a significantly spread out and very rural area. With lots of travel involved to get from place to place, the council needs to be certain its RCVs are working at optimum levels at all times, keeping services running smoothly and reliably.
East Riding’s ever-expanding fleet of Dennis Eagle RCVs makes this possible, offering multiple features that optimise performance over such long distances. These include onboard weighing to help maximise payloads, soft pack options, and hard-wearing Hardox hopper floors robust enough for glass collections. In addition to this, Dennis Eagle often works with partners to fit more bespoke capabilities onto the council’s vehicles, including front spray suppression and even defibrillators per East Riding’s request. As well as being used for domestic waste, the RCVs also offer the flexibility to be utilised for food waste collections depending on the requirement, helping the council consistently meet national expectations in line with Simpler Recycling legislation.
“The greatest benefit of working with Dennis Eagle is that they’re truly a one-stop shop for everything RCV,” said Phil Burgess, Fleet Services Manager for East Riding of Yorkshire Council. “Previously we’ve had to work with multiple suppliers for different components, which made communication and aftersales support particularly difficult. Now we have a single point of contact, not only enabling us to have open, honest conversations, but ensuring any concerns or challenges are dealt with quickly and efficiently. We have a very collaborative relationship with Dennis Eagle; a true partnership in every respect.”
Future plans for a thriving fleet
While at present East Riding’s fleet consists solely of mid-steer RCVs, they are aware of the benefits offered by rear-steer trucks and are considering a phased approach to these vehicles in the near future. Also keen to prioritise the health and safety of their employees and the general public, the council ensures the fleet always has the latest safety features. “Safety is a non-negotiable for us, so we go over and above the standard spec of vehicle with requirements that put the protection of our people and the wider community first,” Phil added.
Dennis Eagle continues to provide valuable training to East Riding’s team of technicians, including Level 2 Train a Trainer for its supervisors, empowering its people to operate the specialist equipment safely and with ease. Aftermarket support has also proven particularly successful, seeing our Leeds Service Centre offer additional resource for East Riding to bridge skills shortage gaps at peak times. The council currently has two dedicated service support trucks employed to meet the needs of its five depots in the surrounding rural area, an initiative of considerable importance next year with a sixth depot in Beverley due to be established.
Like many of its peers, East Riding is continuing to emphasise the criticality of responsible battery disposal among its residents, having seen several RCV fires all caused by batteries throughout last year. The council aims to raise as much awareness of this among its community as possible by using the eye-catching graphics wrapped around the exterior of its vehicles. The 38 new trucks will be delivered over the next four years, with many already in service across the county.
“Being a Yorkshireman myself, working with East Riding of Yorkshire Council has always been a pleasure,” said Andrew Christie, Export Development Manager at Dennis Eagle. “As a business, we do everything we can to ensure their individual needs are met and their expectations surpassed. I’m excited to see what the future holds for them and their fleet over the next few years and look forward to continuing to work together closely and collaboratively to deliver the best possible service to their residents.”