- 01278 783222
- [email protected]
At Jays you’ll always speak to a real human on the phone and deal with a real human when you visit the site.
We pride ourselves on being people-first so there’s no chatbots and no brush-offs, just genuine help to get you and your goods where you need to go.
Jays Logistics (South West) Ltd is a local, family owned transport company, part of the RT Keedwell Group, providing first class distribution and warehousing.
Established in 1988, we are now a premier provider of South West regional distribution and UK and Irish pallet distribution services.
We serve our clients through our main depot off the M5 in Highbridge, Somerset, as well as through our parent company and longstanding membership of The Pallet Network.
Jays Logistics (South West) Ltd provides flexible services for an impressive portfolio of high profile clients, as well as fiercely competitive prices for the distribution of smaller consignments, general UK haulage and full logistical solutions, including shipments in N.I, R.O.I and the EU.
We provide the best of both worlds – the friendly, personal service of a family owned business, backed up by thoroughly modern, professional systems, as well as the benefits of belonging to a large organisation with a fleet of over 400 vehicles and 800 trailers operating from eleven depots throughout the UK.
2012 – Jerry steps down as Operations Director. Jerry joins NK Group Holdings Ltd, who are a work wear / sportswear provider – They have been providing all of Jays and RTK’s uniform since.
2013 – Paul Phillips becomes Operations Director – already serving 13 years with the business Paul brings further support strengthening the senior team.
2017 – Molly White (Jon’s daughter) – joins Jays as the 3rd generation White in June 2017. Sadly, Ray Keedwell passes away which is a tremendous loss to the business. Jays also partners with The Haz Chem network offering an additional service covering ADR freight.
2018 – Jays archives both ISO 9001 accreditation & FORS Bronze.
2019 – Offering additional support to HPC – Jays establishes the FCC – Freight Consolidation Centre – more info here.
2020 – Jays wins the tender with Balfour Beatty to cover the transport for the outfall and intake tunnel segments.
2021 – Matt Beavan becomes the Project Development Director further supporting the HPC project in January. Jays and RTK begin trailing both Equinox – a fuel additive and HVO fuel to help combat emissions and re-focus our environmental sustainability plan.
2023 – Jays bids and wins the tender supporting Balfour Beatty Vinci on the HS2 tunnel project in Birmingham starting summer 2023. In December 2023 Jays conduct their first electric vehicle trial utilising a 18T ETECH Renault – more info here.
2024 – On April 29th, Jays opened it’s Avonmouth depot located in the Chittening Industrial Estate
2003 Our first Pallet Network ‘EPS’ went bankrupt owing us £35,000 which almost closed the company. SEI reduces it use of subcontractors and Jays is no longer used. Very difficult year. We joined TPN in August, delivering about 20 a day with 4 or 5 collections. We have about 10 drivers and vehicles.
2004 We push TPN forward as the core of our business, with such customers as Yankee Candles. The customer base increases and the second trunk is started.
2006 Phil & Rita White take retirement & Jays needs capital investment to continue to expand, an opportunity for a partnership with R T Keedwell Group, who needed a distribution company to gain some national contracts.
2010 Jays now has almost 50 staff operating 24 hrs a day, moving over 400 pallets a day, nearly 100,000 a year, with 30 vehicles and access to 350 group vehicles spread around 12 depots nationwide.
1991 A van hire company based next door to the retail car sales site closes and it is decided to expand into vehicle hire to fill the gap, by the end of 1991 3 or 4 vans are being hired for about £20 a day. These were definitely not clean & tidy!
1992 Van hire expands to 9 or 10 vehicles and Jerry looks for work for these to do when not on hire, odd transport jobs start to come in, mainly for an interior office partitioning company that Jon White (brother of Jerry) works for. By the end of the year 3-4 vans are regularly on transport, with this comes the first Drivers, John Eastwood being one of these. The first customers were ANC & Sanroy.
1994 Jon White joins Jays and takes charge of the car sales & vehicle hire, leaving Jerry to push the transport forward. The 1st Operators licence is granted and Jays purchases its first 7.5t (Leyland Daf) and starts working for Smurfit Packaging & has regular Cornish runs for Goodyear Tyres for Transfleet.
1996 Philip White takes a less executive role leaving the day to day running of Jays to Jerry & Jon.
1998 1st 18t Lorry purchased (MAN vehicle – Reg No. L219 MVO), a major customer SEI (Scottish Express) came on board, with distribution from Bristol and urgent Aircraft On Ground (AOG) courier runs for Westlands Yeovil, covering Helicopter ports from Aberdeen to Helston. The First Artics were also purchased to ‘Trunk’ for SEI to Rainham each night.
1999 Shop 3, Weston Euro Park was first leased, allowing the transport to have its own parking and storage away from the ‘public’ Van Hire yard.
1988 – Phillip White & his son Jerry start buying and selling second hand cars from their home.
1989 – Phillip & Jerry rent a yard in Drove Road from Uphill Motor Company and expand.
The van hire part of the business starts to grow supporting more logistical jobs mainly for an interior office partitioning company that Jon White (brother of Jerry) works for. By the end of 1992 3-4 vans are regularly covering transport runs and with this comes the first Drivers, John Eastwood being one of these who is still with today! Some of the first transport customers were ANC & Sanroy.
Jon White joins Jays and takes charge of the car sales & vehicle hire, leaving Jerry to push the transport forward. The 1st Operators licence is granted and Jays purchases its first 7.5t (Leyland Daf) and starts working for Smurfit Packaging & has regular Cornish runs for Goodyear Tyres for Transfleet.
Having seen the transport business grow and the sad demise of EPS – our first pallet network, Jays join TPN – The Pallet Network in August 2023. We initially start delivering about 20 pallets a day with 4 or 5 collections. The fleet has grown and we have 10 drivers and vehicles within the daily operation.
Jays and R T Keedwell join together to be able to provide a “one stop shop” to cover all of our customers logistical needs. With Jays providing pallet network and same day support and RTK covering FTLs though their arctic fleet.
Starting with deliveries to a muddy field in 2015 our support for HPC grew steadily and due to our geographical location we were able to offer additional support to the developing HPC project by establishing the FCC – Freight Consolidation Centre.
We have also supported Balfour Beatty with the outfall and intake tunnel segments which has in turn lead on to us supporting the Balfour Beatty team again on the HS2 Project.
Due to our involvement with Tier 1 contractors on HPC, Jays won the tender to support the movements for tunnel segments again from Avonmouth and Filton up to Bromford, Birmingham for the works taking place as part of HS2.
Starting in 2023 Jays have played a critical role in transporting ring segments being used to construct the Bromford Tunnel which is part of the Birmingham interchange.
