JT Matthews

Tuesday 19th June 2018

JT Matthews extract from June 2018 Trucking Magazine 

Despite the grey sky, one of the newest Iveco trucks to join JT Matthew’s eight-strong delivery fleet, the 26-tonne Stralis, looks impressive in its distinct red and silver paintwork and is one of two recently delivered by Sherwood Truck & Van, Stoke.

Located in the quiet suburb of Bilston, just outside Wolverhampton, family-owned roofing supplier JT Matthews, started as a roofing contracting firm and in 1971, Phil’s father Barry and mother Jeanette bought the trading name from Jeanette’s uncle, combining it with their own building company BE Barker, which they co-founded in 1964.

Barry and Jeanette took the decision to focus on roofing supplies in 1978 and as the firm expanded, so did its reputation – making it a preferred choice for many traders across the West Midlands. The 24-strong workforce still includes Jeanette as financial director and the company now operates from a five-acre site in Biddings Lane.

We ask Phil about his early memories and how his fleet is playing an integral role in his operations. Like all family firms, Phil adopted a hands-on approach to working life at JT Matthews from an early age.

“I always wanted to work in the business,” he explains. “I started coming in when I was five or six and, as Dad was a builder, I used to mix my own mortar in the garden at home and build walls! I absolutely loved watching him work and I could see how passionate he was about making the business successful.

“During the school holidays I spent all of it with my Dad, either sweeping or tidying up in the yard or being in the office with Mum doing admin work. As a teenager, I would serve customers and even remember driving with Dad in his 7.5-tonne Leyland Terrier to collect roof tiles.”

JT Matthews started life in a small yard in Olive Avenue, Parkfields, Wolverhampton. The business soon outgrew the premises and moved to a one-acre site in Millfields Road, Bilston before finally settling down in Biddings Lane in 1984.

Phil took over as MD from his father, who became chairman, in 2001 – and although he’s rarely away from his desk, Phil still relishes the chance to get behind the wheel. “I love being out in the yard when I can – it’s what I’ve been doing my whole life,” he says. “I’m happy to do the first delivery shift at 5 am if any of my drivers are off sick. I may be the boss, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get stuck in!”

The first heavy truck to join the company was an 18-tonne Ford Cargo in 1981, which was a regular member of the fleet until Iveco bought Ford’s European truck operations in 1986. As the two businesses merged together, Iveco became the main choice of commercial vehicle for JT Matthews.

In addition to two vans, the fleet now comprises a 3.5-tonne Iveco Daily dropside, a 12-tonne and 18-tonne DAF and three 26-tonne Stralis rigids. And it was the performance of a Stralis nine years ago that now sees Phil specify his 26-tonners with a rear-steer axle, so they can deliver supplies even closer to the customer’s site.

“We were very busy in the summer of 2007 and hired a Stralis with a rear-steer axle from Maun Motors to see how it performed,” Phil says. “It was our first experience of a truck with a rear-steer axle and we thought it was absolutely brilliant. The manoeuvrability meant our drivers could make deliveries quicker, and that meant more drops in a day.

“Customers would tell us that other suppliers struggled to drop payloads into their yard or site because of access issues, but with the Iveco it was never a problem. We bought two of our own within days of the rental vehicle going back, and they both clocked-up nearly 500,000 km before we sold them!”

With Phil regularly getting behind the wheel of his trucks, he knows precisely what makes a hard-working six-wheeler. The two newest Stralis rigids are like-for-like replacements for older vehicles and have aluminium dropside bodies built by Commercial Body Specialists. An impressive spec list includes a Hiab crane operating from a Power Take Off (PTO), roof beacons, Kelsa lightbars and a horizontal exhaust to prevent the tarmac getting hot on driveways. Galvanised sub-frames also help to keep the bodywork looking in top condition throughout its lifetime.

“I don’t just pick any old manufacturer; I want to have the best vehicles for the job,” he explains. “We do a lot of deliveries into residential areas and building sites, which can sometimes be pretty challenging for a 26-tonner. That’s why it pays to do your homework and get the make, model and spec just right. Trust me, your drivers will thank you for it too!”

Talking about his local dealer, Phil adds: “We enjoy a great relationship with Jeremy Hulme at Sherwood Truck and Van because he knows how much we care about our fleet. He worked with us to optimise the spec – both in terms of suitability for the job, and ensuring they looked great on the road too. And they haven’t disappointed – customers regularly tell us they look fantastic!”

All maintenance work is done overnight at Guest Truck and Van in Wolverhampton, just three miles away from JT Matthews, and Phil says it’s this kind of guaranteed out-of-hours service that makes the difference. “The support we get in terms of both sales and service is second to none. Jeremy always keeps in touch to ask how the trucks are doing and whether we need anything,” he explains.

“If we do have any problems, I can send my driver along and the truck gets looked at the same day, no question. We didn’t have this kind of service before and it makes a huge difference because any remedial work is done out-of-hours, meaning they are back with us the next day.”

He adds: “We wouldn’t swap the Stralis’ for love nor money. My drivers are really passionate about the brand; it’s crazy more people aren’t operating them. I’m convinced it’s just a case of getting more people behind the wheel, as they would soon see how good they are.”

JT Matthews recorded a strong finish to 2017 and although they have no plans of moving to a bigger site, they are optimistic about having an even better year in 2018. “Last November was our best ever month in terms of sales, because a shortage of roofing materials meant manufacturers began to cut product lines,” Phil says. “Winter is normally when businesses start slowing down, but we saw our busiest period thanks to our high stock availability. Put simply, we made sure we had more products on sale than our competitors.”

Summing up his thoughts on the business, Phil adds: “We’re proud to be a family-owned firm and the team prides themselves on giving customers the best service possible. Some of our staff have been with us 30 years and still love coming to work. That makes me very proud.

“I’ve got three children and would love to see them join the company one day. They’re too young at the moment, but I can imagine seeing them out in the yard helping me, just as I did with my Dad all those years ago!”

'Extract from June 2018 Trucking Magazine’