Clugston’s core activities today stem from its initial involvement with the iron and steel industry in the 1920’s.
JG Clugston Ltd started trading as a timber and builders merchant in 1922 from their base Carlton Street, Scunthorpe.
The original business was mainly commercial, dealing with and delivering a range of goods mainly in the construction industry.
Even at this very early stage, JG Clugston already had their own fleet of commercial vehicles delivering these goods. Early records show the companies fleet increased up to 37 Vehicles, then in their original Green and Yellow livery.
The first vehicle purchased by Mr Clugston was by a British manufacturer called Maudsley, this would have been a two-axle rigid flatbed and fitted with a petrol engine, solid tyres and belt or chain-driven!
The business and fleet continued to develop and grow and included all the major British made vehicles including, AE, Albion, Leyland, Morris, Ford, Bedford and Commer, sadly all now gone.
In 1937 JG Clugston incorporated into a new business, Clugston Cawood Ltd and purchased an additional property in High Street East, Scunthorpe, which included offices and their own vehicle repair workshop. JG Clugston and the newly incorporated Clugston Cawood both ran commercial vehicle fleets.
Between 1939 and 1945 Clugston Cawood Ltd were heavily involved in the war effort and transported vast quantities of bulk materials such as coated slag products to assist the then Air Ministry Directorate in building many of the new RAF Bomber and Spitfire stations within a 60 miles radius of Scunthorpe. Both JG Clugston and Clugston Cawood fleets remained involved throughout the war years.
Following the end of the war Clugston Cawood Ltd was involved in a large amount of required demolition work with the JG Clugston vehicle fleet transporting the waste from these sites, but continuing to develop in their individual business sectors around Lincolnshire and the surrounding areas. The commercial vehicle fleet continued to grow with these businesses.
In 1946 JG Clugston formed a new company in partnership with British Steel Corporation, Clugston Group Ltd and Shanks and McEwan. Colvilles Clugston Shanks Ltd was a large operation at the Clyde Iron Works at Camberslang, Scotland and latterly at the Ravenscraig Works in Motherwell.
These enormous bulk material volumes required a large fleet of insulated tipper vehicles to transport, Coated Macadam Asphalt, Dry Aggregates, Foamed Slag and Granulated Slag for the manufacture Cement Powders.
In February 1953, serious flooding occurred on the Lincolnshire coast both at Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea. The sea wall failed and the North Sea breached the defences. A state of emergency was declared by the Government and Clugston Cawood were heavily involved and played a significant part in the required work to repair the sea defences. JG Clugston Ltd vehicle fleets operated day and night in transporting tens of thousands of tonnes of essential materials including natural Slag products from Staveley in Derbyshire and Scunthorpe to plug the coastal breaches.
In 1961 Clugston Slag Co Ltd was incorporated and took over the assets of Clugston Cawood Ltd, which again included Commercial Vehicle Fleets to transport the vast amounts of Slag products from the Scunthorpe Iron and Steelworks.
On 28th January 1966, both Clugston Slag Co Ltd and the Original JG Clugston Ltd were amalgamated and Clugston Transport Ltd was born and incorporated, a stand-alone road transport division was formed and road transport operations work commenced across the UK.
This called for one Central Transport depot to include fleet maintenance workshops and administrative offices to be built. This is the current site on Brigg Road, Scunthorpe and officially opened 28th November 1966.
From 1966 to the present day, Clugston Transport Ltd and then from 1988 - Clugston Distribution Services Ltd, have ventured into many of the UK recognised Road Transport and Logistics activities including warehousing, goods management and stock control along with many types of goods handling services, commercial vehicle maintenance and repairs, commercial vehicle MOT and ADR Testing.
From 1997, commercial vehicle sales & export, UK franchises and representatives for major European commercial vehicle and trailer manufactures and Ancillary Equipment.
Clugston Transport Ltd and latterly Clugston Distribution Services Ltd, have operated in all bulk powder delivery sectors, food, industrial powders and specialist sectors such as plastics, product silo maintenance and emergency evacuation response.
Our long history and association with UK steel long products continue, transporting all Steel long Products up to 24m, along with other indivisible long loads.
In 2012 Clugston ventured into the bulk fuel distribution sector and have succeeded in penetrating a very difficult sector by continuing the Clugston tradition in giving value for money, doing it right and doing it right first time.
In 2022, the Clugston Family will have been operating commercial vehicles and delivering, handling and managing many types of UK goods for 100 Years, we hope to continue to this milestone and beyond.
