27 Apr Industry Legend | Gary King
With a career spanning more than four decades, Gary King’s influence on the UK temperature-controlled transport sector is both deep and wide-ranging. From hands-on engineering roles to senior national fleet management positions within some of the country’s biggest retail operations, Gary’s journey mirrors the evolution of modern refrigerated transport and throughout it all, Gray & Adams has been a constant presence.
“I started out as an apprentice technician at Christian Salvesen, that was where everything began.” What followed was a 20-year tenure that saw him progress steadily through the ranks, from chargehand, to fleet engineer overseeing workshops, and eventually to national fleet manager, “I learned the business inside out, technically and operationally.”
After two decades at Salvesen, Gary’s relationship with Gray & Adams was already firmly established. “I’d been working on Gray & Adams trailers since I was 16 because that’s what Christian Salvesen ran. Then as national fleet manager I was directly involved in specifying and purchasing the Gray & Adams equipment.” After his time at Salvesen, Gary moved to Tesco, where he spent three and a half years managing fleet operations and working closely with suppliers, this meant continuing to buy Gray & Adams product, but this time within a different retail operation.
Gary was later headhunted into Sainsbury’s, where he would spend the next 19 years shaping fleet strategy during a period of significant industry change. “When I arrived, Sainsbury’s didn’t have many Gray & Adams trailers, but that changed fairly quickly. As competition dropped off and Gray & Adams consistently met the operational specifications and the customer need, the balance of the fleet shifted. They simply delivered what we needed.”
Reflecting on the biggest technical developments during his career, Gary points to one innovation above all others. “From a refrigeration perspective, the introduction of double-deck trailers was the biggest game changer, and Gray & Adams are the specialists in that space. A lot of work went into making the double-deck practical, reliable and efficient in real-world retail operations.”
Changing delivery profiles have been another constant challenge, particularly as retailers adapted from supermarket-based distribution to high street and urban delivery models. “Urban delivery transformed everything, payloads, access, manoeuvrability, all of it had to change. Gray & Adams were very good at working with us on that journey, not just building to a spec, but helping us shape it. They innovate with you, not just for you.”
That collaborative approach extended across the business. Gary worked closely with Peter Gray, Brian Fraser and Jim Webster, but also valued the wider engineering consultancy approach. “One of the real strengths of Gray & Adams is that you deal with specialists, you’re not locked into one conversation, you can access different engineering experts to make sure the final product truly meets the operational requirement. They were always willing to help and provide support when we needed it.”
Sustainability became an increasingly important focus as Gary’s career progressed. “If there was any opportunity to innovate, to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact or meet new legislation, we looked at it, we carried out several major trials with Gray & Adams and their partners, particularly around refrigeration systems on double-deck trailers at Tesco. Those trials covered not just the body build, but the sub-components too. The challenge was always finding the most cost-effective solution that still met the demands of the business.”
That balancing act, cost versus quality, is something Gary feels strongly about. “Cheap isn’t always the best way to go, from a business perspective, one of the hardest things is explaining that if you buy better quality, it lasts longer, and over the lifespan, it’s actually cheaper. That’s the benefit of buying a quality product like Gray & Adams, it stands the test of time.”
Equally important to Gary has been aftersales support. “From a customer service and aftersales perspective, Gray & Adams dominate that market, if there’s a problem, they fix it. That level of support is rare now, and it makes a huge difference when you’re operating in a high-pressure environment.”
And high pressure it certainly was. “We were constantly juggling innovation, cost, stakeholder expectations and environmental targets, all while making sure operations had what they needed. Knowing that if Gray & Adams committed to a delivery date, they would deliver, genuinely eased some of that pressure.”
Gary stepped away from his role at Sainsbury’s in October 2024, but he hasn’t left the industry behind. Now working as a fleet consultant, he’s using his experience, knowledge and contacts to support smaller businesses. “I’m helping companies become more cost-effective, more operationally efficient and more sustainable, I’ll probably keep doing this for a few more years, just at a reduced pace.”
Importantly, this new chapter allows more time where it matters most. “I still enjoy the work, but it also gives me more flexibility and more time with my family.”
Looking back, Gary’s career is defined not just by technical expertise, but by partnership, pragmatism and long-term thinking. His enduring relationship with Gray & Adams reflects that ethos, built on trust, shared problem-solving and a belief that quality always pays off in the end.