History

1970s: Des O’Connor joined the transport industry as a Production Controller for Crane Fruehauf. As the trailer company grew from strength to strength, Des progressed from Production Manager to Regional Manager, tasked with covering all aspects of the business, including parts sales, repairs, and accounts. This broad experience would later be invaluable in the founding of TRL.

1980s: A new opportunity caught Des’ eye, and he moved to transport giant Montracon to work as a Sales Director. He helped grow the market share of this Northern Irish trailer manufacturer, increasing its presence and sales in multiple regions throughout the United Kingdom. Following their acquisition of Craven Tasker, Des led the sales team of the largest trailer manufacturer in the UK. Again, his experience and connections at Montracon would be foundational to his vision for TRL.

1990s: A transitional decade for Des, he initially took a three-year contract to work as the Sales Director for a team at SDC UK, but he harboured ambitions of channelling his experiences to date into his own company within the transport industry. In 1993, Des took the leap and founded TRL with the primary objective of buying, repairing, and selling used trailers. Des’ son Barry - an experienced freelance mobile trailer mechanic - joined TRL at its inception and committed to growing and expanding the fledgling family business.

2000s: At the start of the new century, TRL adapted to the growing demands of the marketplace by offering the long-term contract hiring of trailers. The company’s growth also necessitated a move to a new and bigger site in Leighton Buzzard - a site fully supporting the rapidly expanding long-term rental fleet at TRL’s disposal. In 2003, Des bought his fellow shareholder out, ensuring that the O’Connor family fully owned the company. In 2007, Barry was appointed as the company’s Managing Director, fuelling a new era of rapid growth.

2010s: When the opportunity arose, the O’Connor family moved TRL from Leighton Buzzard to the strategically located Hemel Hempstead. On a 2.5-acre share of a seven-acre site, Des and Barry oversaw the construction of offices and a workshop at the Hemel Hempstead site, ensuring the necessary space for the ever-growing fleet of trailers - now totalling over 1,000. Ultimately, a three-bay ATF workshop was built, and the site continues from strength to strength. During the 2010s, the third generation of the O’Connor family joined the business, with Ryan Jones taking on an office-based role to further the company’s growth.

Today: After celebrating 25 years of business in 2018, TRL has emerged as a market leader in providing long-term contract hire trailers. Our fleet now exceeds 3,000 trailers, and we have pioneered many innovations, including our Geo-Pro telematics and online customer portal. Our family-run business continues to innovate and expand, and we are constantly looking for talented and forward-thinking individuals to join our Hemel Hempstead team.