For independent bus operator Delaine Buses, reliability and workshop efficiency are essential to keeping its fleet moving across South Lincolnshire and Peterborough. When the company needed to replace ageing mobile column lifts, the team turned to MAHA UK, a decision that has already made a difference to its day-to-day maintenance operations.
Delaine Buses operates passenger transport services connecting Bourne, Stamford, Peterborough, Spalding and the Deepings, alongside important school transport routes throughout the region.
Engineering Manager, Jack Delaine-Mellor, joined the company in March 2020 – just prior to the first COVID lockdown.
“I actually started three days before the first lockdown as a driver,” explained Jack. “There was a small group of drivers that kept services running throughout that period, and I was one of them.”
Today, after progressing up the career ladder, Jack oversees engineering operations for the family-run business, which operates a fleet of 34 buses, including both single and double deck vehicles.
Time to replace ageing equipment
The decision to invest in new lifting equipment followed the need to replace ageing workshop systems and explore a solution better suited to the company’s operational requirements.
“We wanted to invest in a new set of column lifts that would improve efficiency and usability within the workshop,” revealed Jack. “After speaking to other operators already using MAHA products, the feedback was consistently positive.
“A lot of people we know were already using MAHA products and nobody had a bad word to say about them. That gave us confidence to try something different.”
Fast delivery and immediate impact
Following discussions with the MAHA team, Delaine quickly moved forward with a new set of lithium battery-powered mobile column lifts.
“What impressed us was how quickly MAHA could supply them,” said Jack. “We were told we could have them the following week, which was fantastic.”
Since installation, the lifts have become a key part of the workshop’s daily operation.
“We use them every day,” Jack said. “Because they’re lithium-battery powered and use Bluetooth connections, they’re incredibly easy to move around the yard wherever we need them. Storage is much easier too.”
Supporting a wide range of workshop tasks
The versatility of MAHA’s mobile columns has enabled the team at Delaine to expand how and where they carry out maintenance work. The lifts are now used for:
- MOT preparation work
- Tyre changes
- Diagnostic and repair work
- General maintenance and servicing
“We now do a lot more work outside because access to vehicles is much easier,” acknowledged Jack. “For a variety of jobs, having the vehicle raised outside gives much better access.”
Jack added that the lifts have proven to be genuine all-rounders within the workshop.
Confidence in after-sales support
While the lifts are still relatively new, confidence in MAHA’s after-sales support also played an important role in the investment decision.
“A supplier of ours also uses MAHA’s brake testing equipment, and they spoke very highly of the service engineers,” said Jack. “That gave us reassurance that the support would be there when we need it.”
Looking ahead
When Delaine Buses looks to invest in more workshop equipment in the future, Jack said: “We would definitely talk to MAHA again.”
For now, the company is already seeing the benefits of improved efficiency, flexibility and ease of use from its MAHA mobile column lifts – helping keep its fleet operating reliably for the communities it serves every day.
