page_title: Collett & Sons
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Collett & Sons / History
caption_attribution_description: English: One of Collett's early vintage milk vehicles
context_page_description: Collett & Sons is a Limited company specialising in heavy transport, heavy lift, marine and transport consulting services.
context_section_description: Established in Halifax in 1928 by Richard Collett, the company began as a dairy farming business.  When taking his own milk to the dairy by horse and cart, other local farmers asked Richard to take theirs too, which was the beginning of R. Collett Transport.
  In 1933 the Milk Marketing Board (MMB) was established to market milk.  This resulted in the Board paying for the collection of milk from farms, and on the back of this Richard purchased his first commercial vehicle.  The end of the Second World War in 1945 released ex-army vehicles, chiefly Bedfords and Thorneycrofts to the commercial market, expanding the Collett fleet and the milk collection business.
  With the introduction of tankers in 1970, the need for milk churns declined and the Collett fleet of vehicles reduced from 14 to five.  The milk haulage side of the business was abandoned in 1974 giving way to the formation of R. Collett & Sons Transport (Ltd).  With Richard (2) now at the helm, his five sons joined the business to fill various roles, and the focus of the company was shifted from general to heavy haulage and abnormal loads.
  Collett features a fleet of 68 tractor units and various trailer combinations with a total carrying capacity of 11,537 Tonnes.  The company features 40th in the ICT Transport 50, a ranking of the world's largest specialised transport companies.  In 2019 Collett are awarded the Motor Transport Team of the Year award and the Freight Transport Association Road Freight Operator of the Year.
caption: One of Collett's early milk wagons
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