About
About Hope Technical
A history of innovation
Hope Technical Developments Ltd was founded in 1962 by Fred Hope. Fred is a passionate entrepreneur who, after the Second World War, started a haulage business running a fleet of AEC trucks.
Fred realised that there was a serious safety issue with the trucks in that under stress braking conditions they would jack knife dangerously causing potential injury to the driver, other road users and the goods in the truck. He set about designing a way to address this problem and created the worlds very first anti jack knife device for articulated trucks. The Hope Anti Jack Knife device was produced for over 30 years.
Developments and the company today
Vehicle safety became a central concern for Fred Hope and in 1984 the vehicle construction and use regulation was amended to include the fitment of rear under run protection on all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. Fred Hope believed that he could build an excellent product and Hope Technical Developments produced the very first UK approved under run bumper. This product became known as the Hope Safe-T-Bar which is still being used today.
Now run by John Hope, Fred’s son, Hope Technical Developments consists of a team of technical, design and manufacturing experts, all working together to produce a diverse selection of van and commercial vehicle safety equipment, including a complete range of Hope Safe-T-Bars and Safe-T-Steps for light commercial vehicles (LCVs), the Hope Tool Lift system, rear under-run bumpers (RUPDs) for HGVs, and the Hope Scrutineer, a diagnostic unit used in the servicing of HGV trailers. From our manufacturing site and headquarters in Littlehampton, West Sussex, we are able to provide a single source engineering solution – from design and manufacturing to assembly, testing, powder coating and finishing – with safety at its core.
