Archive for August, 2009

VOLVO FH PULLING POWER LOOKS GOOD FOR HCR RECOVERY

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

HCR Recovery – the coach and LGV recovery specialists based in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire – have found their new Volvo FH as effective in competition as on the roads. Not only is the FH-460 “ideal for its job,” according to the company’s owner and co-Director, Peter Spencer, but it has also performed well at industry vehicles’ shows, enhancing HCR’s standing.

“This is our 4th Volvo,” says Peter, “and we find them to be ideal for our job. They offer good pulling power, they’re very reliable, the lads like to drive them and they hold their value well. They also look good, which is important for the company image; this one has just won the Best Presented Heavy Recovery Vehicle at the Belvoir show!”

The truck was bought used, as an 05 plated 4×2 tractor unit, and was converted by bodybuilders Boniface who fitted a Pioneer lift axle and a three-stage folding H-boom with a low lying crosshead – “perfect for going under the latest buses,” according to Peter. The body itself is in stainless steel and features a multi-locker layout - to accommodate a full range of tools, spares, recovery equipment and emergency kit - as well as a 5th wheel towing attachment. The cab is a Globetrotter XL in ‘Comfort‘ trim, equipped with air conditioning, CD player, fridge and safe.

Given their repair and recovery expertise, HCR will be handling the bulk of the maintenance on the new Volvo themselves. However, they will be relying on Volvo Dealerpoint Hartshorne (East Midlands) Ltd. at Alfreton for parts and technical support. “We get very strong back-up from Hartshorne,” says Peter. “They’ve been very good to us!”

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NEW RENAULT PREMIUMS ARE FIRST TO GO TO ICELAND

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Leading UK food retailer, Iceland, has taken delivery of 29 Renault Premium 450.18, 4×2 tractor units through Renault Trucks’ UK fleet sales team. It’s an important deal for Renault Trucks as they are the first Renaults to join the company’s 310-strong fleet. The Euro 5 trucks are all fitted with the Optidriver+ gearbox.

The new trucks will be based in Swindon and Enfield and have been purchased to fulfil store deliveries, accommodating the growth that Iceland is currently experiencing and supporting the additional 70 new stores due to open this year.

David Hill, Distribution Contracts Manager, Iceland, says: “We chose to add Renault Trucks to our fleet as we felt that these high spec trucks offer excellent value for money. We were also impressed with the fuel performance of the Renault Premium demonstration unit. With the company growing at a successful rate, we need reliable, cost effective vehicles and we believe that this is something Renault Trucks can offer.”

Iceland is a fast growing British food retailing business with almost 700 stores throughout the UK.

The company enjoys sales of over £2 billion and has over 17,000 employees nationwide. Iceland is a member of the British Frozen Food Federation, the leading Trade Association for the frozen food sector.

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PA LAING TIMBER HAULAGE COMPANY LOGS ITS FIRST RENAULT

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Scottish timber haulage company, PA Laing, has taken delivery of a Renault Premium Lander 450, double drive, tractor unit, through Renault Trucks distributor, Border Trucks.

In an important conquest deal for Renault Trucks and Border Trucks, it is the first Renault to join the company’s 11-strong mixed fleet of Volvo, DAF and Mercedes and is to replace Foden.

The vehicle will be used to pull a timber crane trailer on a long term haulage contract with leading sawmilling company, BSW Timber, Carlisle. The Renault Premium Lander will haul pole length timber up to 40ft long from Forestry Commission forests in the Borders to the BSW sawmill in Carlisle, undertaking three loads a day.
Hugh Laing, Proprietor, PA Laing, says: “With such an operation we needed a strong, durable vehicle and the Renault Premium Lander fits the bill. The double drive, lighter vehicle gives us increased payload to carry greater loads and increase efficiency. With the truck running three loads a day, another key factor in our decision to purchase the Renault was the local support available from Border Trucks through the Renault Trucks network.”

Stephen Whitehead, Managing Director of Border Trucks said “We are delighted to have our first representation within the PA Laing fleet which is a highly respected company in our local area. Backed up with its 4 year warranty, we are sure that the Premium Lander will give great service to our customer in the timber industry.”
PA Laing is an independent family business which has been running for 54 years. The company is based in Hawick, Scottish Borders.

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Elliott Baxter’s bright outlook for yellow Stralis rigids

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

The UK’s largest family-owned independent paper supplier, Elliott Baxter & Co Ltd, has added a pair of new 26 tonne Iveco Stralis Active Day rigids to its fleet to target new areas of business in the North of England.

One vehicle will operate from the company’s new branch in Birmingham which opened in March 2009, whilst the second will be based in Manchester. Together, the two Stralis AD260S33YP/S’s join a total fleet of 95 commercial vehicles and each benefit from rear-steering axles. Their arrival follows expenditure of over £1 million on new commercial vehicles in 2008, which included the arrival of eleven 18 tonne Eurocargos and eight similar 26 tonne Stralis rigids.

Supplied by Guildford-based Iveco dealer Grays Trucks, the two new Stralis AD’s have been designed specifically for short-haul distribution and are each fitted with Don-Bur slide-a-side bodies with cantilever tail-lifts. They will be used for delivering paper stock direct to commercial colour printers.

Phil Bourne, Logistics Director at Elliott Baxter, says: “We’ve been purchasing Iveco’s for many years and find the Stralis and Eurocargo models well suited to our fleet. They offer competitive whole life costs and we get excellent back-up from Grays Trucks, which work very hard to support us.

“Our new vehicles are normally built to order but these two models were available from stock complete with rear-steering axles. This is something we haven’t tried on the fleet before but we will be monitoring their performance closely and asking our drivers for detailed feedback,” he adds.

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VOLVO EURO 5 FUEL ECONOMY DELIVERS 0.5 MPG EXTRA FOR COOL SOLUTIONS

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Hull-based European road transport operators Cool Solutions are seeing not only environmental, but financial benefits from an early move to Euro 5 with Volvo.

Cool Solutions Director Trevor Underwood is far from unaware of the emissions issue – “Volvo have done a lot of work to make these trucks as green as possible,” he says – “but by far the greatest advantage has been the 0.5mpg average increase in fuel economy across a fleet of 45 tractor units hauling 260 tautliners and 20 fridges. Fuel accounts for around a third of our running costs,” he explains. “We went straight from Euro 3 to Euro 5 because our assessment suggested Euro 4 would be a ‘ghost’ specification with no real benefits. We’ve found AdBlue usage minimal – around 30 litres per truck per week over 2,500km.”

The supply of AdBlue is straightforward, explains Trevor,” We have our own tanks on site, supplied and stocked by Yara. Additionally, all our drivers also have a RED card, which means they can draw AdBlue from any RED point, just as they would with diesel. And the Volvo Dealer network, including Crossroads, can supply AdBlue at the same price if that’s more convenient.”

What’s more, the cost benefits of Volvo SCR Euro 5 technology go beyond fuel efficiency. “The cost on trucks is lower not just initially,” continues Trevor, “but even once you’ve factored in the lifetime cost of AdBlue and the residual value. We weighed our options, took a leap of faith on price and support and found it paid off.”

Support, says Trevor, is the final, deciding factor. “The majority of our trucks are maintained by Crossroads at Hull; I’ve been dealing with them for 25 years and their service levels are second to none - the absolute best. That’s why our fleet will be practically 100% Volvo by September 2009.”

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RENAULT TRUCKS MIDLANDS WINS LEADING INDUSTRY AWARD

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Renault Trucks Midlands, located on the Black Country New Road, Tipton, is celebrating winning the prestigious 2009 Motor Transport Dealer of the Year Award. The award was announced at the official awards dinner, at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London, on Wednesday 1st July, with Renault Trucks Midlands beating four other finalists to win the coveted title.

The awards are held annually, by Motor Transport magazine, one of the commercial vehicle industry’s leading weekly publications and are seen as the most prestigious and professional awards in the industry, with the awards dinner being attended by more than 1,200 individuals.

The Dealer of the Year award won by Renault Trucks Midlands is judged by an independent panel of industry specialists and firmly establishes the winner as the best dealer in the UK commercial vehicle arena.

Entrants for the award were required by the judges to show high standards of customer satisfaction across all departments, including the workshop, and demonstrate financial success.
Renault Trucks Midlands is the Renault Trucks sales and service dealer for Birmingham and the Black Country, offering the company’s full product range of vans and trucks from 2.8 to 44 tonnes, plus a comprehensive range of customer support services.

The company won the award with its submission based around the fact that it has been turned around from a five-figure loss in 2006 to a six-figure profit in 2008. This is due in part to a strong focus on customer service (consistently beating Renault Trucks’ KPIs in the last three years), a significant improvement in workshop productivity, and a good number of conquest customers. Renault Trucks Midlands has introduced a van for on-site trailer servicing and a rapid response motorbike for roadside assistance.

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THE STATE OF THE A.R.T. MEANS FACTS THAT SAVE LIVES

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Over a period of four decades, Volvo Trucks’ department for accident research, the Accident Research Team (ART) has built up a unique bank of expertise that is unsurpassed in the truck industry.

“The results of ART’s work are integrated into every new safety solution that Volvo Trucks presents. Our investigations pinpoint the problems and highlight the direction for the engineers whose job it is to develop the necessary technology,” says Anna Wrige, director of the Accident Research Team.

Over the years ART has carried out more than 1,500 truck accidents investigations and this has generated a database of expertise that is invaluable in Volvo’s safety work. Alongside this, co-operation with other countries and authorities has resulted in an exchange of information at an advanced scientific level. Volvo’s research has thus helped boost the safety level of commercial vehicles the world over.

Focus on active safety
The purpose of the Accident Research Team’s work is to improve both passive and active safety. Research into passive safety aims at ensuring the consequences of an accident are as minimal as possible, whereas active safety puts the focus on avoiding accidents in the first place.

“We’ve come a long way regarding passive safety in trucks, so now the focus is on active safety and the prevention of accidents. Not least because we know that the human factor lies behind as many as nine out of every ten accidents,” adds Anna Wrige.

Three basic issues
In principle, the group’s working methods can be explained with the help of three questions: What do the accident sequences look like? Why did the accidents happen? What can be done to prevent accidents?

“Our aim is to identify and document the main causes of accidents,” explains Anna Wrige. “This information gives us a clear picture of the major safety challenges involved in modern traffic. However, Volvo Trucks alone cannot solve these problems, so what is needed is well-developed co-operation between all the parties concerned - vehicle manufacturers, safety organisations and society.”

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