Keltruck Ltd

Welcome to our company history page.

Lee MacMillan handing over two DAF DKS tractor units to steel stockholder HKB Steels at Westmid's premises in Willenhall.

Westmid was Chris Kelly's company before founding Keltruck.

Westmid DAF & Scania tractor units with Tautliner trailers, quite probably delivering cast iron baths from Glynwedd Vogue Bathrooms, Bilston on to Northern Ireland in the capable hands of Alfie Lovell and Micky Perrott.

Westmid's first introduction to Scania with this LB111, seen here on a heavy haulage trip from Scotland to South Wales with a Hudsons of Dudley trailer.

Westmid's first introduction to Scania with this LB111, seen here on a heavy haulage trip from Scotland to South Wales with a Hudsons of Dudley trailer.

Westmid's first introduction to Scania with this LB111, seen here on a heavy haulage trip from Scotland to South Wales with a Hudsons of Dudley trailer.

Westmid's first introduction to Scania with this LB111, seen here on a heavy haulage trip from Scotland to South Wales with a Hudsons of Dudley trailer.

Westmid's first introduction to Scania with this LB111, seen here on a heavy haulage trip from Scotland to South Wales with a Hudsons of Dudley trailer.

Keltruck's David Morgan writes: "This DAF was sold new by Westmid to my family business, Morgan Transport of Tipton. Prior to this Chris Kelly had sold mom & dad a new Atkinson Borderer tractor unit with a Gardner 8LXB 240 engine."

One of Westmid's famous DAFs before we saw the light in favour of Scania.

One of many ex-Avis rental box-vans bought from Joe Brandrick.

Ford D Series. One of many trucks sold to steel stockholder Tipton Steels.

DAF recovery truck.

DAFs again piggy backing the recovery truck 'on a mission'.

DAFs again piggy backing the recovery truck 'on a mission'.

DAFs again piggy backing the recovery truck 'on a mission'.

DAFs again piggy backing the recovery truck 'on a mission'.

Christopher Kelly (aged two) at the Westmid yard in Neachells Lane, Wolverhampton, in November 1980.

Chris Kelly & colleague

This Westmid Scania P82 tractor unit went on rent to Barretts & Baird meat wholesalers of Hill Top, West Bromwich for a couple of years.

This Westmid Scania P82 tractor unit went on rent to Barretts & Baird meat wholesalers of Hill Top, West Bromwich for a couple of years.

Westmid's first Scania R142 V8 tractor unit.

Westmid tractor unit with state-of-the-art sliding deck recovery trailer (well it was state-of-the-art at the time). Note it is carrying three tractor units as the trailer had a technical dispensation on overall length, discovered by Chris Kelly, and exploited to the full to benefit the company, collecting multiple trucks bought at auction etc, especially from Scotland. The trailer was fitted with an incredibly powerful diesel driven remote control 'donkey' winch which was fitted underfloor between the landing legs. This was designed by Chris and John Plant (of PCM, Northants), an incredibly talented engineer.

Express & Star editorial in 1983 about West Midland Trucks (precursor to Keltruck) supplying recycled lorry cabs.

Today recycling is online at shop.keltruckscania.com.

Chris Kelly has been consistently pressing the case for enterprise for more than 30 years

Chris Kelly has been consistently pressing the case for enterprise for more than 30 years

A young Mike Kelly collects a local girl from hospital in a Rolls Royce

A young Mike Kelly collects a local girl from hospital in a Rolls Royce

A young Mike Kelly collects a local girl from hospital in a Rolls Royce

A young Mike Kelly collects a local girl from hospital in a Rolls Royce

Chris & Sonia Kelly with Anders Siewertz, Managing Director, Scania (Great Britain) Limited, at the Scania Distributor signing ceremony

Keltruck Limited becomes an authorised Scania Distributor, April 1983.

Pictured: Chris Kelly & Anders Siewertz (Managing Director, Scania (Great Britain) Limited).

Christopher Kelly in front of a Keltruck Scania V8 tractor unit at Truckfest in 1983.

A. Hingley’s first Scania from Keltruck (Alan Hingley & Neil Jones)

UK Scania Dealer Principals & partners at Scania Group, Zwolle, Netherlands in the early 1980s with Chris Kelly, founder, representing Keltruck.

Scania R142 (B142 EDA) truck racing support vehicle.

Scania R142 (B142 EDA) with Scania T142 on the trailer.

Chris Kelly (Managing Director & Dealer Principal), Anders Siewertz (Managing Director, Scania (Great Britain) Limited) & a Laura Ashley company representative celebrate the delivery of Keltruck's 1,000th Scania truck in August 1986.

Chris Kelly & Sonia Kelly in August 1986.

Dieter Merz (Scania (Great Britain) Limited), Chris Kelly (Keltruck Limited), Sir Eric Pountain DL (Tarmac plc) & Brig. Sir Louis Hargroves CBE DL (Keltruck Limited)

Dieter Merz (Scania (Great Britain) Limited), Chris Kelly (Keltruck Limited), Sir Eric Pountain DL (Tarmac plc) & Brig. Sir Louis Hargroves CBE DL (Keltruck Limited)

Chris Kelly, Keltruck's founder (then Managing Director & Dealer Principal), in his office at our West Bromwich head office in the early 1990s.

Ray Hingley of A. Hingley (Transport) Limited receives the winner's cup for the Scania wheel change competition for Telethon '90 from Keltruck's Chris Kelly on 19 May 1990.

Chris Kelly circa 1991.

Keltruck West Bromwich circa 1992

Scania R142 recovery vehicle outside Keltruck West Bromwich in the early 1990s.

Chris Kelly & David Morgan begin another aid mission to eastern Europe in Keltruck's Scania R113 Streamline demonstrator.

Keltruck supported the successful Benetton Formula 1 team. Here we see founder (then Managing Director & Dealer Principal), Chris Kelly and his children on Boxing Day in 1992 as one of the Benetton team F1 Scania Streamline vehicles leaves Keltruck's West Bromwich head office on a mercy mission hauling – in often sub-zero temperatures – emergency supplies to ill-equipped orphanages in the former 'Soviet bloc' as several eastern European countries collapsed into chaos following the bringing down of the Berlin Wall and the ending of the division of the continent of Europe. Chris was at the wheel all the way there & back.

Chris Kelly, founder, addresses Keltruck's tenth anniversary celebration in 1993 at which the Secretary of State for Transport also officially opened the company's West Bromwich depot & head office expansion.

Chris Kelly, Keltruck's founder (then Managing Director & Dealer Principal) at the wheel.

Chris Kelly of Keltruck and the late Alan R. Murrall of East Midland Commercials with Prime Minister John Major at 10 Downing Street.

Alan Murrall, Kevin Taylor & Chris Kelly at East Midland Commercials

Alan Murrall, Kevin Taylor & Chris Kelly at East Midland Commercials

Chris Kelly & the late, great Don Taylor.

Chris Kelly welcomes Sandwell MP & Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt. Hon. Betty Boothroyd MP, to Keltruck West Bromwich in 1994.

Sonia Kelly at the Scania 4 Series launch at Keltruck's West Bromwich head office in 1995.

The Scania 4 Series launch at Keltruck's West Bromwich head office in 1995.

Keltruck took home the prestigious 'Dealer of the Year' Award at the 1996 Motor Transport Awards.

Chris Kelly flies Ronnie Corbett to charity fundraiser in 1996.

Chris Kelly flies Ronnie Corbett to charity fundraiser in 1996.

John Biggin & Chris Kelly in 2004.

Chris Kelly & Andrew Jamieson in April 2007.

Chris Kelly & David Cameron at Uttoxeter races in November 2007.

Chris Kelly & Chris D. Kelly in April 2008.

Chris Kelly & Chris D. Kelly in April 2008 (published in the Financial Times).

Chris Kelly & Chris D. Kelly in April 2008 collecting one of three (to date) Sunday Times Profit Track awards.

Chris Kelly & Chris D. Kelly in May 2008.

David Cameron meets Keltruck apprentices with Chris Kelly father & son.

Founder Chris Kelly introduces new JCB equipment for Keltruck Scania Vehicle Recycling.

Alec Kokinis has been Company Secretary of Keltruck Limited since the business's inception in 1983.

Keltruck celebrated its 30th anniversary in April 2013.

Keltruck celebrated its 30th anniversary in April 2013 with the opening of a new head office building at West Bromwich.

Keltruck celebrated its 30th anniversary in April 2013 with the opening of a new head office building at West Bromwich opened by local MP, the Rt. Hon. John Spellar, joined by Chris Kelly MP.

Keltruck celebrated its 30th anniversary in April 2013 with the opening of a new head office building at West Bromwich.

Commercial Motor's Andy Salter presents Chris Kelly with CM's lifetime service to industry award in September 2016.

Click here to watch the accompanying video.

Keltruck unveiled the much anticipated Next Generation Scania in August 2016, with deliveries starting in the final quarter of the year.

This all new product is the result of ten years of development work and investments by Scania AB in the region of SEK 20 billion (EUR 2 billion).

Chris D. Kelly, David Morgan, Tracey Joynes, Russ Warner & Mike Kelly at head office in West Bromwich, September 2016.

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