STH

What STH does

STH (Specialist Trailer Hire Limited) is a UK family-owned commercial vehicle specialist whose operating history extends back to 1968 through Liversidge Brothers and was formally constituted as Specialist Trailer Hire in 1998 following the 1987 acquisition of TSL. The company is headquartered in Leeds with a second depot in Rotherham, employing 11-50 staff, and serves enterprise customers across logistics, retail, and distribution.

The company's core offering spans the full commercial vehicle lifecycle: spot, long-term, and contract hire of HGVs and specialist trailers (including low loaders, wafer decks, and extenders sourced via authorised partnerships with European OEMs Goldhofer, Krone, Broshuis, Faymonville, and Nooteboom); vehicle sales of used equipment; DVSA/VOSA Authorised Testing Facility MOT testing; commercial vehicle refurbishments; and repairs and servicing. Underlying technical assets include the ATF certification, an online fleet maintenance system, and BVRLA and Achilles credentials that support enterprise procurement.

STH makes money through a mix of recurring contract hire (multi-year, quote-based pricing on enterprise accounts such as DHL Supply Chain Sheffield, Sigma Retail Solutions, and Gregory Distribution), transaction fees for MOT testing and repairs, one-off used vehicle sales, and project-based refurbishment work. The go-to-market is relationship-driven B2B, supported by industry event participation (e.g., Road Transport Expo) and third-party validated compliance credentials rather than digital or self-serve channels.

Name

STH

Legal name

STH Limited

Website

https://www.sth-ltd.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STH (Specialist Trailer Hire Limited) is a UK family-owned provider of HGV and specialist trailer hire, sales, maintenance, MOT testing, and refurbishment, operating from Leeds and Rotherham with multi-year enterprise contracts across logistics and distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Vehicle Hire and Fleet Maintenance Services

NAICS

Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321), Construction, Transportation, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53241), Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412)

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Work Truck Rentals (e.g., tow, bucket, street sweeper) (THADAJAI)

Keywords

• HGV trailer hire
• Commercial vehicle maintenance
• Fleet maintenance services
• MOT testing facility
• Commercial vehicle sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Hire: Short-term spot hire with no minimum period, long-term rental with included maintenance and servicing, and contract hire with fixed pricing for brand-new or existing fleet vehicles. Includes 24/7 breakdown support across UK and Europe.
2. Vehicle Sales: Sale of pre-owned and new HGVs, trucks, and trailers including Goldhofer, Dennison, DAF, and Mitsubishi Fuso vehicles. POA pricing for new vehicles, fixed pricing for used stock.
3. Fleet Maintenance Services: Comprehensive maintenance contracts including regular servicing, 6/8 weekly safety inspections, tachograph inspection, ADR certification, tail lift inspection, and brake testing. DVSA-compliant maintenance for commercial vehicle fleets.
4. MOT Testing: Annual and re-test MOTs for HGVs, PSVs, trailers, LEZ phase 3 compliance, and purged ADR dangerous goods vehicles at authorised drive-through testing facility.
5. Commercial Vehicle Refurbishments: Shot blasting, repainting, body repairs, welding, fabrication, vehicle livery, signwriting, wraps and decals, and modifications including tail lift and curtain installations.
6. Repairs and Servicing: Diagnostics, mechanical repairs, specialist trailer repairs including flatbed repairs, roller shutter door maintenance, and tail lift servicing. Includes roadside breakdown and recovery 24/7 across UK and Europe.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

STH provides HGV and trailer hire (spot, long-term rental, and contract hire), fleet maintenance and repair services, DVSA-authorised MOT testing, commercial vehicle refurbishments including shot blasting and repainting, and sales of new and pre-owned HGVs and trailers. The company operates from Leeds and Rotherham depots serving logistics, retail, heavy haulage, and construction businesses across the UK and Europe with 24/7 breakdown support.

Product overview

STH (Specialist Trailer Hire) is a Leeds and Rotherham-based provider of HGV and trailer services operating over 50 years in the industry. The core offering combines equipment rental (HGV & Trailer Hire) with maintenance and repair services (HGV & Trailer Repairs and Servicing, Fleet Maintenance, HGV & Trailer MOTs and Checks) and vehicle sales. The product portfolio includes diverse trailer types for hire such as Flatbed Trailers, Low Loader Trailers, Curtainsider Trailers, Euroliner Trailers, Box Van Trailers, Skeletal Trailers, Ramp Trailers, Fork Truck and Trailer, and specialist trailers including Flatbed Triple Extender, Double Extend Step, and Wafer Deck Trailers. Truck and van hire includes Tractor Units, Rigid Trucks, and Vans. Commercial Vehicle Refurbishments and HGV & Trailer Sales complete the service offering. The company serves logistics, retail, transport, and haulage sectors with spot hire, long-term rental, and contract hire options, maintaining a UK-wide network of support firms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HGV & Trailer Hire Comprehensive HGV truck and trailer rental services including spot hire, long-term rental, and contract hire options. Covers flatbed, low loader, curtainsider, euroliner, box van, skeletal, ramp trailers, and specialist trailers for businesses in logistics, retail, transport, and haulage sectors.
• HGV & Trailer Repairs and Servicing Diagnostics, maintenance, and repair services for trucks, trailers, and light vans. Includes MOT preparation, roadside breakdown and recovery, and specialist trailer repairs including flatbed, roller shutter door, and tail lift servicing for commercial vehicle operators.
• HGV & Trailer MOTs and Checks Drive-through MOT testing centre in Leeds authorised by DVSA. Provides annual and re-test MOTs for heavy goods vehicles, public service vehicles, trailers, LEZ phase 3, and ADR dangerous goods vehicles, plus safety inspections and compliance checks.
• Fleet Maintenance Full fleet maintenance services including regular servicing, 6/8 weekly safety inspections, tachograph inspection, ADR certification, tail lift inspection, brake testing, accident repairs, and breakdown recovery across the UK and Europe. Includes access to an online fleet maintenance management system for tracking, compliance documents, and email updates.
• Commercial Vehicle Refurbishments Shot blasting, repainting, body repairs, welding, fabrication, vehicle livery, signwriting, wraps and decals, and modifications including tail lift and curtain installations for trucks, trailers, and vans. Serves retail, logistics, and commercial fleet operators needing branded or restored vehicles.
• HGV & Trailer Sales Sales of pre-owned and new commercial vehicles including HGVs and trailers with flexible buy or lease options. Stock includes Goldhofer low loaders, wafer decks, and ramp trailers, plus Dennison flatbed extenders, DAF, and Mitsubishi Fuso vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• DHL contract relationship spanning over 10 years with consistent high-quality service
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GoldhofercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturer partnership for specialist trailers including low loaders, step decks, wafer decks, and ramp trailers. Goldhofer is a leading German manufacturer of heavy-duty trailers. STH exhibited at Road Transport Expo 2023 together with GoldhoferTransport.
• KronecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturer partnership for commercial trailers including curtain siders, box trailers, and skeletal trailers. Provides reliable trailer equipment for hire fleet.
• BroshuisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist trailer manufacturer partnership for abnormal load trailers included in hire fleet.
• FaymonvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist trailer manufacturer partnership for specialist trailers included in hire fleet.
• Nooteboom TrailersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist trailer manufacturer partnership for abnormal load trailers included in hire fleet.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ryder UK: Ryder is one of the largest commercial vehicle rental, lease, and maintenance operators in the UK and globally, offering full-service truck and trailer hire, contract maintenance, and used-vehicle sales — directly overlapping with STH's hire-plus-maintenance-plus-sales model but at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Fraikin: Fraikin is a major UK commercial vehicle and trailer rental and contract hire specialist providing HGVs, trailers, and fleet management services to logistics and distribution operators — a clear direct competitor in the same product categories (spot hire, contract hire, contract maintenance) that STH serves.
• TIP Trailer Services: TIP is one of Europe's largest trailer rental, leasing, and maintenance specialists with a deep UK fleet. It competes head-to-head with STH on trailer hire (curtainsiders, reefers, flatbeds, specialists) and managed maintenance services for logistics operators.
• Hireco (Trailer Rental): Hireco is a UK-focused trailer rental and contract hire provider operating nationwide with a broad curtainsider, box, and specialist trailer fleet — competing with STH in the same hire-and-maintenance segment for UK logistics and retail fleets.
• Alltruck (now part of Imperial): Alltruck provides commercial vehicle contract hire, rental, and fleet management across the UK, with depots positioned in key logistics corridors. It serves the same customer verticals (logistics, retail, distribution) and overlaps with STH on hire, contract maintenance, and trailer fleet support.
• Asset Alliance Group: Asset Alliance Group is a UK commercial vehicle finance, contract hire, and rental provider for trucks, trailers, and vans. It directly competes with STH on asset finance, contract hire, and used HGV/trailer sales to fleet operators.
• Dawsongroup Truck and Trailer: Dawsongroup provides contract hire, rental, and fleet management for trucks, trailers, and commercial vehicles in the UK, with services spanning hire, maintenance, and asset management — closely comparable to STH's one-stop-shop model.
• MV Commercial: MV Commercial is a UK commercial vehicle sales, hire, and repair specialist operating multiple depots in the North of England. Geographically and in service mix (used HGV/trailer sales, hire, and workshop repairs), MV Commercial is one of the closest regional competitors to STH.

Regional players

• MVL (Commercial Vehicle Services): MVL is a UK commercial vehicle fleet services provider including HGV/trailer hire and DVSA-equivalent testing/maintenance operations. It is comparable as a regional operator in fleet compliance and trailer services but is primarily Northern Ireland–based, competing with STH only in limited geographies.

Others

• Arbil (Commercial Vehicle Maintenance): Arbil is a UK commercial vehicle and trailer parts, repair, and maintenance specialist with multiple workshop locations. While not primarily a hire/rental competitor, Arbil is an adjacent ecosystem participant offering the maintenance and parts services that intersect with STH's fleet maintenance and refurbishment business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialist-trailer-hire-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/sth_specialist_trailer_hire

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 STH