A mate of mine who works there has just said on Facebook that Ryder have bought out Hill Hire…
Then i found this…
roadtransport.com/Articles/2 … n-cash.htm
Ryder acquires Hill Hire for £154m in cash
Laura Hailstone
Wednesday 08 June 2011 14:05
Truck rental giant Hill Hire has been bought by competitor Ryder Europe for £154m in cash.
Under the terms of the acquisition, which was completed today (8 June), all of Hill Hire’s 13 UK depots, 4,000 HGVs, and other equipment, including a large trailer fleet for rental and contract hire, will transfer to Ryder; as will the company’s UK workforce of 300 staff and technicians.
Robert Sanchez, president of global fleet management solutions for Ryder System Inc, says the investment will enable Ryder to better serve the UK market: “There are tremendous benefits in bringing the two companies together. Hill Hire’s vehicle fleet, which comprises 60% tractors, complements Ryder’s existing UK fleet, which is largely rigid based. It will enable us to provide improved choice and value for customers with additional payload and vehicle specification options.” Under the combined business, Ryder will operate a fleet of over 10,000 HGVs and will serve the rental, contract hire and maintenance needs of over 5,000 customers.
David Hunt, vice-president and MD of Ryder Europe, adds: “The transition to operating as one UK business now begins. Throughout this process, we will be focused on achieving the optimum business structure that best serves our customers. With that in mind, the goal of the initial integration process will be working closely with customers and suppliers to help ensure that high service levels continue without disruption.”
The purchase of Hill Hire follows Ryder’s investment of around £44m in new vehicles over the past two years.
I have always judged Ryder to be like TIP, the best in the world and Hill Hire to be a bit of a jack the lad upstart like cheapo banger rental.
Seems I was quite wrong and HH have some huge contracts. I know DHL used them for the hydraroll trailers at EMA
Aren’t Fraikin related to Ryder too? It’s either that or they cross hire from each other regularly as I went to Fraikin for a Ryder truck 
Wheel Nut:
I have always judged Ryder to be like TIP, the best in the world and Hill Hire to be a bit of a jack the lad upstart like cheapo banger rental.Seems I was quite wrong and HH have some huge contracts. I know DHL used them for the hydraroll trailers at EMA
I worked in the Rental Office at HH Leighton Buzzard/Milton Keynes from 96-00, and i can understand why you may have thought that, but they really did go out of their way to make sure the customer got what they wanted back then. It all changed when RBoS bought them out in 1999, 3 of the big directors took their big pay off cheques and went, and as cliche as it sounds, it ripped the heart out of the company! No one seemed to care after that, and it was just about getting bigger and bigger, not nessercarily better!
HH always had, even in the very early days some very lucrative contracts, Tibbett and Britten, Wincanton, Secuiricor as it was, but these were the days before they got involved with Skellies and Fridges, and trucks had only just gone up to 40/41t.