Q1: Robert, tell us a little bit about yourself and your history in the RCV / waste vehicle marketplace?
I have worked in the industry for the last 25 years. Starting on the shop floor assembling new RCVS and then moved into the CAD office to start designing components and putting together assembly manuals.
I have worked on most makes of RCVs and know what makes some of them better than others. I have an extremely keen eye for detail and believe that everything should be done as close to perfect as possible.
Q2: Where does the name TREST come from and what does it mean?
Trest has a couple of meanings depending on the language, it is Latin for Truth and comes from the English word Trestle which means support.
These two points make up the core foundation, our customers already benefit from. To be told the truth and they can always rely on us for support.
Q3: Where is TREST based and what areas within the UK do you serve?
The head office of Trest is in Leyland Lancashire, however today we have vehicles operating on the South Coast, in Aberdeen, Northern Ireland and many places in between.
Q4: What are the main types of services that TREST offers?
Trest is a one stop shop for waste collection vehicles. We supply new and used RCVs, Food Waste vehicles and Hookloaders, we have a growing rental fleet of these types of vehicles. We also provide a repair and refurbishment service for all types of RCVS.
Q5: Which types of organisations are likely to use and benefit from TREST services?
Local Authorities and private waste collectors. Basically anyone with one waste collection vehicle or a fleet of waste collections vehicles.
Q6: FACTS readers love to hear about success stories with clients, give us an example of a customer you are working with closely at TREST?
At Trest we work closely with all our customers. Understanding their needs and what they are looking to get out of our relationship.
Since starting Trest I have had some great customers come on board. Many long standing customers that we have supported over the last 10 years and some new ones who like what we do and how we go about our business.
One success story is that we sold our first Azimut food waste body to a potato grower in Scotland who collects food waste to help fertilize the land. Another example is that we have sold our first Legend body to a long standing customer who wanted the product as soon as he saw it. These both demonstrate a solid need and want for our high end quality products and exceptional service ethos.
Q7: Tell us more about the TREST ethos and the values you hold dear for customer experience,
The Trest ethos is to do everything as close to perfect as possible, whether this is for our customers, our team or our suppliers.
We aim to be the best in the industry at what we do and are constantly improving and looking for ways to achieve perfection.
If we find we don’t have a tool to do a job we buy it. If we find a quicker way of doing something, we document it and ensure everyone in the business is made aware of it. If it could be better, it should be better, is what we say every day at Trest. Never cut a corner and always be honest.
Q8: FACTS readers want to know more on your core products and why they are well suited to private and local authority waste contractors,
Trest has two core products for sale.
The first is our Azimut food waste body, an absolutely fantastic food waste collection body with bullet proof reliability. It’s available in 7.5-ton and 12-ton.
This gives a large payload and offers flexibility to collect all waste streams.
The second is The Legend, our 22 cubic meter RCV body with integrated trade bin lift.
Legend RCV waste body This product is a joint venture with the Italian manufacturer who has tailored the body for the requirements of Trest.
It has taken 18 months to get the product to how we want it and now it is ready to take the UK RCV market by storm.
The elements that makes this stand out from the rest, is that it is built with the technician and operator in mind.
All bolts are accessible with an impact gun to save time and make things easier. All pins are able to be knocked out or have a large thread to enable them to be drawn out. Most importantly the wiring and switches are kept to a minimum and all are easily accessible.
Trest also has a rental fleet of RCVS, food waste vehicles and Hookloaders.
We take great pride in our rental fleet, we always deliver perfect vehicles on time and every vehicle is maintained to the highest standard.
Finally, the side of our business that has grown the most is the repair and refurbishment side.
We have seen more customers wanting to extend the life of their vehicles, which is our field of expertise.
We have the facilities to make a lot of metal parts in house, from hopper floors to cylinder pins, all are made on site at Leyland. This is something we are particularly proud of. Providing a better built and more reliable product to the end user.
Q9: You take environmental responsibility seriously, how is this reflected in the offering from TREST?
The single biggest impact we have is using recycled parts on vehicles.
We buy a lot of used equipment and this is carefully dismantled with only quality components salvaged for a second life.
This is especially important with plastic and electrical parts. We are always looking for ways to reduce waste and this helps our customers. Ultimately, where local authority councils are involved the tax payer also saves money.
Q10: Where do you see TREST in five years time?
I don’t have a plan in terms of the size of business. Our ambition is organic, sustainable growth and quite simply to be the best we can be.
Trest is very much in the infant stages of our growth, what we have achieved in 12 months has been amazing.
We have brought to market and sold food waste bodies, 26 ton RCVs, 32 ton Hookloaders, built a rental fleet of over 30 vehicles, and refurbished lots of bodies and bin lifts.
We have been able to do this because of sheer hard work and determination, the words NO and CAN’T do not exist in our business.
Most things are possible if you put the effort in and are prepared to make the sacrifices. Over the last 12 months, I have worked a huge amount of hours and have had the full support of my wife and children who also share my passion for the business.
My wife Danielle has done so much to help grow this business and even my children come into work on a Saturday and Sunday to help out.
In five years time Trest will be a major supplier in the waste collection industry, it’s not about being the biggest, it’s about being the best!
