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First established in 1975, Tomsetts Distribution has a 45-strong fleet of vans and lorries, providing freight solutions throughout the UK and Europe from the company’s base in East Sussex. While many haulage businesses struggle against a landscape of high operating costs, low margins, driver shortages and environmental pressures, Tomsett’s is actively investing in decarbonising its operations – and The Fuel Store’s Clean Air Partnership is playing an important role.
The fast lane to bumpy terrain: A short history of Tomsetts
A family business, Tomsetts was born when timber merchant Chandler Tomsetts was split into two companies. After successfully managing the distribution arm of the company, Ray and Steve Tucknott bought the Tomsett family out in 1997 and rebranded the business as Tomsetts Distribution Limited. Today, the company is part-owned by MD Andrew Tucknott, who bought it from his uncle in 2023.
Talking about the business, Andrew explains “Tomsetts has evolved with the market. Artex accounted for about 90% of our business at one stage, but we now specialise in pallet consignments for overnight delivery. There’s an abundance of incoming goods, but limited manufacturing in the area, which combine to create intense competition and a ‘race to the bottom’ in pricing. I needed to find a way to cut costs while also differentiating ourselves from the competition.”
It was in a bid to reduce operating costs at Tomsetts that Andrew first came across The Fuel Store.
“We have a huge yard, complete with a 50,000 litre diesel fuel bunker. We’ve always bought full loads of 36,000 litres at a time, meaning we would be hit with a horrendous bill mid-month. From a cash-flow perspective, it was a nightmare. Switching to fuel cards saved us money versus pump price, but also hugely improved our cash flow.”
Cutting costs from the company’s bottom line allowed Andrew to invest in other initiatives across the business.
Sustainability and the transport industry – opportunity or obstacle?
With sustainability a hot topic in the industry, Andrew began to make incremental changes in the business, from switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and changing energy suppliers to investing in two electric forklifts – saving 24,000kg CO2 per annum vs their diesel predecessors.
Keen to do more Andrew attended a webinar run by the University of Brighton’s Clean Growth UK, hosted by Dougal Fleming.
“The webinar heightened our ambitions,” Andrew enthuses. “After chatting with Dougal after the course, we were pleased to be able to bring him on board as our Business Development and Sustainability Manager. Our goal is to differentiate ourselves from other transport companies by aligning with businesses that prioritise sustainability. We aim to be carbon neutral by 2030 and net-zero by 2040. It’s an ambitious goal, but one we’re wholeheartedly committed to.”
To that end, the team at Tomsetts has put together a net-zero strategy and is working with the University of Brighton to get third-party, science-backed verification of the plans – including granular emissions data, CO2 savings and potential tax reliefs. The business is investing in a series of sustainability projects, including renewable energy (solar panels and wind generators), energy storage, efficient heating and cooling, water conservation, electric vehicles, and waste-to-energy solutions.
They have also signed up for The Clean Air Partnership – a carbon offsetting programme run by The Fuel Store in conjunction with Forest Carbon.
The Clean Air Partnership and the road to net zero
As one of the country’s leading fuel card and fleet management providers, The Fuel Store partnered with Forest Carbon to create the Clean Air Partnership. Now in its fifth year, the partnership offers customers of The Fuel Store the opportunity to offset carbon emissions by supporting certified UK woodland creation projects that will mitigate the CO2 emissions from their business journeys.
Matt Cheesman, Partnerships Manager at The Fuel Store explains, “Carbon offsetting is a way to compensate for your emissions by funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere. While many businesses are making strides towards reducing their overall emissions, doing so requires time and investment. By supporting and funding projects that either reduce or remove the same amount of CO2 they produce, carbon offsetting provides a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the most cost-effective and economically efficient manner. For many of our customers, The Clean Air Partnership forms part of a wider, longer-term strategy.”
Since the start of the partnership in 2019, The Clean Air Partnership has planted 240,000 trees, equating to 113 hectares (140 football pitches) of forest.
The future of Tomsetts Distribution
“I’m passionate about clean innovation and the evolution of key industries to align with the environment,” explains Dougal, “and there’s absolutely no denying that the transport industry is a heavy contributor to the UK’s emissions. At Tomsetts, roughly 97% of our emissions are fuel. We’re working hard to reduce our emissions across other areas, and we’re also trialling low-emissions vans on local routes and looking at additives that can help reduce emissions from diesel vehicles. But we haven’t yet made the transition to a fully green fleet, so offsetting is a very important part of our journey. The Clean Air Partnership provides a verified solution.”
Will the road to net zero provide Tomsetts with the differentiation that the business needs to survive and thrive?
“Larger companies are required to report their carbon emissions per the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) policy – this includes not only their direct operations but emissions from their supply chain”, explains Dougal. “As MD and part owner of the business, Andrew is prepared to invest time, effort and money in transitioning the company from a traditional haulage business to a company that has science-backed credentials. Our ultimate objective is to be net-zero – to contribute to our local communities and improve local ecosystems – but also to become the supplier of choice for companies that value sustainability.”