Fredells Byggvaruhus continues to build on STILL as a partner

STILL trucks are continuously on the move at full strength day in, day out at Fredells Byggvaruhus (builder’s merchant) in Stockholm. Deliveries come into the warehouse at the same time as customer’s orders are being retrieved from storage.

Jerry Knutsson Åhlund, Fredell’s Deputy Department Manager for Truck & Transport, says “There is constant truck traffic in our market in Sickla between half past six in the morning until four in the afternoon.”

Stockholm’s biggest builder’s and DIY store.

Fredells Byggvaruhus is the biggest builder’s/DIY store in Stockholm, and is aimed at both tradesmen and private individuals. Apart from the biggest and oldest build-ers’ merchants in Sickla (48,000 m2), there is a facility in Kvista and an online business covering the whole of Sweden. Nowadays, Fredells has 220 employees and sales of SEK 700 million. The builders’ merchant has in stock the biggest range of building products in Sweden. It has been a family company since its foundation when Fabian Fredell opened the business in 1903. The Managing Director today is Fabian’s great-great-grandson, also called Fabian Fredell.

Jerry Knutsson Åhlund adds: “The market in Sickla has an extensive timber yard and a big display area for kitchens and bathrooms, doors and windows, floorcoverings and gardens, paints and tools.

The market in Kvista was opened in 2012 and is a small market focusing on timber and tools. It has a large product range and technically knowledgeable staff, but is located on a slightly smaller area.”

Online trading is growing

Online trading started in 2017, since when it has grown strongly. According to Jerry Knutsson Åhlund: “We find that there is an increase every week.” The growing online retail is also increasing warehouse work and the use of trucks.

Almost exclusively STILL trucks

Fredell leases the great majority of its fleet of trucks from STILL. “We currently have 22 STILL trucks in use, and it will soon be 23. Having good, highquality trucks in use is worth its weight in gold, because our business depends on the trucks working round the clock.” Fredell’s five drivers work at full capacity with movements into and out of storage. There are 60 – 70 customer’s orders every day, and these must be carried out at the same time as incoming deliveries. The market in Sickla is constructed in such a way that it can accommodate two heavy goods trucks at the same time. The battery-operated trucks are on the move for five hours a day to enable this large number of orders to be executed.

Jerry Knutsson Åhlund says “We are a well-coordinated team with a lot of experience in storage and retrieval. That’s essential when the work occasionally becomes slightly tricky.”

Closeness to service technicians

When a truck is unusable for whatever reasons, it often means interrupting the work, so proximity to a STILL service technician is a very important factor which Jerry Knutsson Åhlund values very greatly. “If a problem ever occurs, there is always a solution. With at least three service technicians within a close radius, we almost always get help on the same day, which is very convenient and gives us security.”

Use of Fleet Manager

The STILL “Fleet Manager” is used on the newest seven trucks to manage and analyse the fleet of trucks. “It’s a great help to us, for example because one can see how many trucks were driven when and for how long, and where money can be saved – which makes budget planning easier.”


Value is placed on ergonomics

Ergonomics is especially important when a truck is driven for so many hours a day. That was one reason why Fredell chose STILL as a truck supplier. In conclusion, Jerry Knutsson Åhlund says “Getting the ergonomics right is really important. We also chose comfortable seats with pneumatic suspension for a particularly pleasant driving experience, and to reduce sick notes in the long term. Which ultimately also ensures higher availability for our customers. My personal opinion is that STILL trucks offer greater comfort and convenience than other brands.”