James Hart Chorley

What James Hart Chorley does

James Hart (Chorley) Limited, trading as James Hart Chorley and Rapid Truck Parts, is a privately held commercial vehicle parts and services company based in Chorley, Lancashire, United Kingdom, operating continuously for over 100 years since its founding in 1920. The company specialises in DAF truck parts, supplying new, used, reconditioned, and recycled components across eleven sub-systems (chassis, axle, steering and suspension, engine and fuel, transmission, cooling and heating, cab and body, braking, lighting and electrical, and exhaust and emissions), with secondary coverage of Leyland, MAN, Iveco, and Mercedes commercial vehicles. Distribution is multi-tiered: physical counter sales at the Clover Road headquarters, own-delivery same-day service across the North West, next-day UK courier delivery for orders before 5PM, and daily international export via FedEx with sea, air, and containerised freight options to markets including Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, the Caribbean, New Zealand, and South Africa.

The company operates five revenue streams: (1) truck parts sales (transactional, quote-based), (2) used commercial vehicle sales from 7.5 tonne to tractor units with in-house finance, (3) truck servicing and repairs including electronic diagnostics, service contracts, recovery, and MOT preparation at a 9-bay workshop, (4) Car & Van MOT and general servicing from £50 per MOT, and (5) TEC4 carbon cleaning as an add-on service. Pricing is predominantly quote-based and bespoke across parts and workshop work; only MOT pricing is publicly disclosed. The go-to-market model is sales-led and direct-to-consumer via phone (mainline, breakdown, and service direct lines), WhatsApp, email, and an online parts enquiry form, supported by content marketing through industry news and blog articles. The customer base spans commercial fleet operators and hauliers as primary segments, with the general public serving as a secondary segment through the MOT centre; the company claims thousands of UK customers and a growing international client base.

The firm is independently owned with no identified parent, no external funding rounds, no M&A activity, no patents or trademarks disclosed, and no partnerships or alliances on record. Operationally, it employs 11–50 staff from a single Chorley site that combines a purpose-built parts warehouse, workshop, steam cleaning bays, and counter sales area. There is no proprietary technology platform; the business runs as a traditional parts distributor and service centre, with multilingual website support (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese) and direct WhatsApp contact facilitating its export trade.

Name

James Hart Chorley

Legal name

James Hart (Chorley) Limited

Website

https://jameshartchorley.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

James Hart Chorley is a privately held UK commercial vehicle parts distributor and service centre in Chorley, Lancashire, specialising in new, used, reconditioned, and recycled DAF, Leyland, MAN, Iveco, and Mercedes truck parts, with on-site truck sales, truck servicing, MOT testing, carbon cleaning, and international export shipping.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chorley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Truck Parts Sales: Sale of new, used, reconditioned, and recycled DAF truck parts and spares. Covers extensive range including chassis, axle, steering, suspension, engine, fuel system, transmission, cooling, heating, cab, body, braking, lighting, electrical, and exhaust parts. Also covers other major truck brands including Leyland, MAN, Iveco.
2. Truck Sales: Sale of used commercial vehicles from 7.5 tonne to tractor units. Finance provision available. Prices for overseas shipping requirements offered.
3. Truck Servicing and Repairs: Comprehensive truck repair and maintenance services including electronic diagnostics, service contracts, recovery, MOT preparation, steam cleaning and valeting. State-of-the-art workshop facilities with 9 MOT preparation bays.
4. Car and Van MOT and Servicing: MOT testing centre for cars, vans, and motorhomes. Full range of car repairs, servicing, diagnostics, and air conditioning servicing. MOTs from £50.
5. Carbon Cleaning Service: TEC4 carbon cleaning for vehicles to improve fuel economy, performance, and reduce breakdown likelihood. Targets vehicles with over 10,000 miles or regular town driving, particularly diesel vehicles with DPF.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

James Hart Chorley is a commercial vehicle parts distributor and service centre operating for over 100 years from Chorley, Lancashire. It supplies new, used, reconditioned, and recycled DAF, Leyland, MAN, and Iveco truck parts, sells used commercial trucks, and provides truck servicing, repairs, and MOT preparation in its workshop. The company also runs a car and van MOT testing centre and offers international export of truck parts via FedEx.

Product overview

James Hart Chorley is a commercial vehicle parts and service company operating for over 100 years, specializing as a DAF truck parts specialist with a comprehensive product portfolio. The core offerings include DAF Truck Parts (new, used, and reconditioned) covering 11 sub-product categories: Chassis, Axle, Steering & Suspension, Engine & Fuel System, Transmission, Cooling & Heating, Cab & Body, Braking Products, Lighting & Electrical, and Exhausts & Emissions. Supporting services include Truck Sales (7.5 tonne to tractor units), Truck Servicing & Repairs with multi-brand diagnostics, Car & Van Servicing and MOT testing, TEC4 Carbon Cleaning service, and an international Export Service for truck parts. The company also stocks parts for Leyland, MAN, Iveco, and Mercedes trucks beyond DAF.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DAF Truck Parts (New, Used, Reconditioned, Recycled) Supply of new, OEM, non-genuine, used, reconditioned, and recycled DAF truck parts and spares across all major systems including chassis, axle, steering, suspension, engine, fuel system, transmission, cooling, heating, cab, body, braking, lighting, electrical, and exhausts. Also covers Leyland, MAN, Iveco, and Mercedes trucks. Targeted at commercial vehicle trade, fleet operators, and independent hauliers.
• Truck Sales Sale of used commercial vehicles ranging from 7.5 tonne to tractor units. Finance options available, with pricing provided for overseas shipping requirements. Targeted at hauliers and commercial vehicle buyers.
• Truck Servicing and Repairs Comprehensive truck repair and maintenance services including electronic diagnostics, service contracts, recovery, MOT preparation, steam cleaning and valeting. Workshop facility has 9 MOT preparation bays. Targeted at fleet operators, hauliers, and truck owners.
• Car and Van MOT and Servicing MOT testing centre for cars, vans, and motorhomes. Full range of car repairs, servicing, diagnostics, tyre supply, and air conditioning servicing. MOTs from £50. Targeted at general public and local vehicle owners.
• TEC4 Carbon Cleaning Service Carbon cleaning for vehicles using TEC4 technology to clean engine carbon deposits, improve fuel economy (up to 10% improvement), restore performance, and reduce breakdown likelihood. Particularly beneficial for diesel vehicles with DPF and vehicles with over 10,000 miles or regular town driving.
• International Truck Parts Export Service International export of truck parts using FedEx, with delivery times of 2-3 days for international orders. Offers sea freight, air freight, and containerised freight options for larger orders. Active client base in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Caribbean, New Zealand, South Africa, and other countries worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Next-day UK delivery for orders placed before 5PM
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Marshall Motor Group: UK automotive dealer group with commercial vehicle representation alongside passenger car franchises. Comparable as a multi-brand dealer offering parts, servicing, and MOT; broader automotive portfolio reduces specialism in heavy-truck aftermarket.

Direct peers

• The Parts Alliance: UK motor vehicle parts distribution group supplying independent garages, workshops, and trade customers. Comparable as a UK-based aftermarket parts distributor with multi-brand coverage and trade-channel focus, though broader in scope than James Hart's commercial-vehicle specialism.
• Motus Commercials: UK DAF Trucks dealer group providing new and used truck sales, parts, servicing, and MOT across a multi-site network. Closely comparable in DAF-specialist positioning, B2B fleet customer base, and full-service commercial vehicle aftermarket offering.
• Imperial Commercials: One of the UK's largest DAF dealer groups operating parts, sales, servicing and MOT across multiple sites. Directly comparable as a DAF-focused commercial vehicle parts and service business serving fleet operators, with a similar one-stop-shop model and broader geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• MAN Truck & Bus UK: OEM with UK dealer network covering new truck sales, genuine parts distribution, and authorised servicing. Comparable as a parts-supply and service competitor; James Hart specifically stocks MAN parts, putting the two in direct competition in the aftermarket channel.
• Euro Car Parts (LKQ Europe): UK's largest motor vehicle parts distributor under LKQ Corporation, supplying trade and retail across car and light commercial segments. Comparable as a high-volume motor vehicle parts wholesaler, though broader in passenger car and lacking the specialist DAF/heavy-truck depth.
• Iveco UK: OEM operating UK dealer network for new and used trucks, parts, and servicing. Comparable as a commercial vehicle parts and aftersales competitor; James Hart lists Iveco among stocked brands, creating direct overlap in the independent parts channel.
• Scania (Great Britain): OEM with UK dealer network selling new trucks, genuine parts, and authorised servicing. Comparable as a competing commercial-vehicle parts and service channel; broader global footprint but narrower in the independent/used/recycled parts niche James Hart occupies.

Others

• ATS Euromaster: UK commercial vehicle tyres, servicing, and MOT provider. Comparable as an adjacent service-channel competitor for fleet maintenance spend (tyres, MOT, servicing), though narrower in deep mechanical repair and parts supply.
• Bosch Automotive Aftermarket UK: Major OE-tier supplier of vehicle components (braking, electrical, fuel systems) into the UK aftermarket. Comparable as an upstream parts supplier whose products James Hart distributes; relationship is partly competitive (own-brand alternative parts) and partly enabling (parts sourcing).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jhartchorley
• Facebookfacebook.com/jameshartchorley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/james-hart-chorley-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about James Hart Chorley