By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
Accept
routeonerouteonerouteone
  • News
    • Show all
    • Awards & Events
    • Deliveries
    • Environment
    • Exhibitor News
    • Euro Bus Expo 2024
    • Features
    • Legal
    • Minibus and minicoach
    • Operators
    • Opinion
    • People
    • Suppliers
    • Vehicles
  • Vehicles
    • Find a Vehicle
    • ZEV Comparison Tool
    • Sell a Vehicle
    • Vehicle Seller Dashboard
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • Events
    • British Tourism & Travel Show
    • Euro Bus Expo
    • Innovation Challenge
    • Livery Competition
    • routeone Awards
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • Share your news
    • Subscribe
    • Update Subscription Details
  • Latest Issue
  • SIGN UP
Search
© 2024 routeone News. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Hill Coaches: Setting an example for the industry
Share
Font ResizerAa
routeonerouteone
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • News
    • Show all
    • Awards & Events
    • Deliveries
    • Environment
    • Exhibitor News
    • Euro Bus Expo 2024
    • Features
    • Legal
    • Minibus and minicoach
    • Operators
    • Opinion
    • People
    • Suppliers
    • Vehicles
  • Vehicles
    • Find a Vehicle
    • ZEV Comparison Tool
    • Sell a Vehicle
    • Vehicle Seller Dashboard
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • Events
    • British Tourism & Travel Show
    • Euro Bus Expo
    • Innovation Challenge
    • Livery Competition
    • routeone Awards
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • Share your news
    • Subscribe
    • Update Subscription Details
  • Latest Issue
  • SIGN UP
Follow US
© 2024 routeone News | Powered by Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd
- Advertisement -
-
routeone > News > Hill Coaches: Setting an example for the industry
News

Hill Coaches: Setting an example for the industry

Tim Deakin
Tim Deakin
Published: July 1, 2019
Share
SHARE

Specialising in school contracts, Hills Coaches knows the importance of keeping a fleet up to scratch not only for adult customers, but for school children too

When was your first experience onboard a coach or bus? For a lot of people, it was as a schoolchild.

Whether it was a bus on a home-school route or a coach for a school trip, if we’re being honest, the experience was probably not a great one for most.

Cue memories of an often-perceived ill-tempered driver, moquette seating with cigarette burns and over-flowing ashtrays.

However, times have changed and with wi-fi, leather seats and USB charging points becoming the norm, passengers are expecting and are being offered more when travelling on a coach or bus.

With UK bus passenger journeys seemingly in continued decline and coach’s struggle to attract a younger generation, the specification of a coach or bus is important since operators have a big part in changing the perceptions of the passengers of tomorrow.

One operator setting a precedent is Wolverhampton-based Hills Coaches.

Running a 20-strong mixed fleet of 35-seaters to 74-seaters, the operator specialises in school contracts and knows the importance of running high-specification coaches on them.

Says Director Darran Hill: “In the past, operators might have said ‘put an old banger on the school runs’, but we ensure all of our vehicles are high quality. This includes 16- and 17-plate vehicles being used on our school runs and they all have air-conditioning.

“We think children should have the same luxuries as adult passengers, rather than sending out an old coach or bus for them to travel to school in.”

It is a strategy that has proved successful for the operator, which has now been running for over 50 years.

Growing a business

Hills Coaches was established in 1965 by Darran’s grandfather John Hill, known as Jack, and it was a few years after that when Darran’s father, Trevor, joined the business.

Hills Coaches specialises in school contracts

“My grandfather started in business with someone, which lasted a couple of years and then he set up shop on his own before my father joined. In those days it was known as JT Hill Coaches and they ran two coaches,” explains Darran.

By the time Darran had joined the family firm in the late 1980s at the age of 17, the fleet size had increased to five coaches and the company name changed to Hills Coaches a few years later.

Says Darran: “As a child, I used to always come to the depot at the weekends and my nan would be doing all the coach bookings.

“When she wanted to retire, my grandad asked if I would take over from her, so I left my job at Henry Venables in Stafford – where I worked for a year after finishing school – to do that.

“My grandad was still driving when he was in his 80s, but he sadly passed away in 2003. We miss him a lot because he taught us everything we know.”

A strong team

With Trevor retiring earlier this year, it’s now down to Darran and his younger brother, Daniel, who joined the firm 10 years ago, to keep the wheels turning.

Staff retention is high: Long-serving drivers Rick Houghton and Jane Pearce

However, they are ably assisted with a team of office staff – including Darran and Daniel’s sister Rebecca – 23 full-time drivers and Transport Manager Paul Gregory who has been with the operator for 25 years.

It’s not just Paul who has stayed with the company for a long time. Hills Coaches also has many long-serving drivers, including some that have been with the firm for over 20 years.

Darran says driver shortages doesn’t seem to be a problem for the firm and attributes a good work-life balance to the company’s high driver retention.

He says: “You often read in trade magazines that it’s the unsocial hours and things like that, that put people off being coach drivers, so we tend to try and work with our drivers to ensure everyone takes their fair share of doing weekends. This means they don’t end up having to work every weekend.”

Younger drivers

The firm also encourages and employs younger drivers, including TM Paul’s son, Dean, who came to work for Hills Coaches straight from school and is now a driver.

“Over the last few years we’ve had a lot of younger drivers coming through and now have a few drivers under the age of 30,” says Darran.

“We have put a couple through their tests, but the others already had their licences, so luckily it hasn’t been too difficult to employ younger drivers.

“The good thing as well, with our more experienced drivers, is that any continental work we get we can send one of the younger drivers with them to train them up.

“We would never throw them in the deep end, so it’s about making sure they feel comfortable with the work they are doing.”

Olympic coaches

For a company that has over 50 years in business, there must be a number of occasions the firm is proud of.

Four new Volvos were purchased for the 2012 Olympics Brazilian team

One particular stand-out moment for Darran was providing transport for the Brazilian Olympic team at the London 2012 Games.

Four new Volvo coaches – a 9700, two B9Rs and a B7R – were purchased for the job, which was undertaken on behalf of First Group.

Each coach was specified with a unique, eye-catching Brazilian Olympic team livery, before being used on other work after the 2012 Olympics.

“It is one of the best things we have ever done,” says Darran. “We are all still very proud of it.”

Returning customers

The firm also takes great pride in the service it provides and keeping its fleet as smart and modern as possible.

“Continual fleet renewal is our main goal to get the vehicles as modern as possible,” says Darran.

“There are operators that can beat us on price, but customers soon return to us because of the vehicles we offer.

“People are expecting more now, so sending out old coaches without features such as air-conditioning, for example, just doesn’t cut it anymore.”

Fully Euro 6

With emission control zones becoming more widespread across the UK, the challenge for Hills Coaches is going to be investing more money into bringing its vehicles up to Euro 6 standards, but it is something it says it is committed to doing.

Keeping the fleet smart and modern is one of the operator’s top priorities

Therefore, fleet renewal is also important for the firm since one of its aims is to eventually operate a fully-Euro 6 fleet, says Darran.

He adds: “We’re trying to get the fleet to Euro 6 as quickly as possible and we’re halfway there. We try to change a couple of coaches a year to Euro 6 and we’re aiming for completely Euro 6 in the next five years.”

Keeping busy

For Darran, the secret to the success of running a prosperous coach firm is not putting all of its eggs into one basket.

“We do a variety of private hire work, as well as school work, which serves us well,” he says.

“Although our school contracts are the bread and butter work, we have got a very large private hire base. We don’t do our own holidays or day trips because, luckily, we are kept busy with repeat customers each year.”

However, when it comes down to it, Darran says it is his grandfather he has to thank.

“The business wouldn’t be the success it is today if it wasn’t for my grandad who started it all 54 years ago, so we have a lot to thank him for.”

TAGGED:BusCoachDiversified CommunicationsMagazineMiniPlusrouteONE
Share This Article
Facebook LinkedIn Threads Email Copy Link
ByTim Deakin
Tim is Editor of routeone and has worked in both the coach and bus and haulage industries.
Previous Article Huge interest in Ticketer tap on, tap off function
Next Article Nat Ex opens voting for design contest
- Advertisement -

Latest News

Temsa HD12 and HD13 delivered to Cresta Coaches under Asset Alliance rental deal
Temsa pair join Cresta Coaches on Asset Alliance rental agreement
Deliveries
Go-Ahead London – Managing Director
Careers Jobs
andy burnham tfgm £15.6 billion (1) The funding announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves today (4 June) has been allocated to several combined mayoral authorities to use on rail, tram, road and bus infrastructure. Transport for Greater Manchester revealed today that part of the £2.5 billion it will receive will go towards making the Bee Network fully battery-electric by 2030. An as-yet undecided portion of that will support a planned investment in 1,000 new zero-emission buses over that period, the mayoral authority said. That is part of plans to build the UK's "first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system", with trams and trains also set to benefit. Liverpool City Region's already announced BRT system is among the projects to which its £1.6 billion will be allocated. Under those plans - due for realisation by 2028 - a high-speed network will be served by articulated buses which are modelled on the 'Glider' in Belfast. It is due to link Liverpool city centre with John Lennon Airport, and Liverpool FC and Everton FC's respective stadia along three routes. Although the model of bus has not been confirmed, a Van Hool Exqui.City on loan from Belfast was last year used as a demonstrator. That 18m vehicle can accommodate around 30% more passengers than a typical bus and has three sets of double doors. The funding will also go towards buses elsewhere in the city as the region heads towards franchising services by 2027. Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram with a 'Glider' which was on loan from Belfast last year - an example of the sort of bus which could serve the new BRT Bus services in the East Midlands region will be boosted by the funding, thanks to the £2 billion handed to it today by the government. Some of that allocation will be used for a rapid transit network on the Trent Arc between Nottingham and Derby. Between the two cities, the Freeport, Infinity Park Investment Zone and Ratcliffe-on-Soar will also benefit from the improved bus services. South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority's newly announced commitment towards bus franchising has been boosted by £350 million in funding as part of that region's allocation. The funding for West Yorkshire will help build new bus stations in Bradford and Wakefield. Likewise, the Tees Valley Mayoral Authority will put its sum towards a new £15 million bus station in Middlesbrough. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says: "Today marks a watershed moment on our journey to improving transport across the North and Midlands – opening up access to jobs, growing the economy and driving up quality of life as we deliver our Plan for Change. "For too long, people in the North and Midlands have been locked out of the investment they deserve. With £15.6bn of government investment, we’re giving local leaders the means to drive cities, towns and communities forward, investing in Britain’s renewal so you and your family are better off."
TfGM’s all-electric bus plan boosted by new £15.6 billion package
News
Local Transport Minister opens First Bus electric depot in Hengrove
Local Transport Minister opens First Bus electric depot in Hengrove
Bus
- Advertisement -
-

routeone magazine is the indispensable resource for professional UK coach, bus and minibus operators. The home of vehicle sales and the latest bus and coach job vacancies, routeone connects professional PCV operators with complete and unrivalled news coverage.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • GDPR Policy
  • Sustainability
  • Advertise
  • Latest Issue
  • Share Your News
routeonerouteone
Follow US
© 2024 routeone News | Powered by Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd