The new 500hp trucks with Globetrotter XL cabs are predominantly being used to transport bagged fertiliser from the major manufacturers and blenders to farms all over the UK.
The newest additions to the company’s 80-strong fleet are all on 3-year contract hire with Gold R&M coverage from Crossroads Truck and Bus in both Boroughbridge and Stallingborough.
“This deal with the Gold R&M agreement means we know where we are,” says Director John S. Revis. “They’ll be no unexpected surprises and we get to enjoy the build quality, reliability and fuel efficiency we’ve come to know and rely upon from Volvo. What’s more, this order continues our relationship with Crossroads Truck and Bus that goes back many years. We’re delighted with the support we receive and are especially appreciative of the service whereby the trucks are collected on Friday evening and returned to us at Saturday lunchtime. We don’t lose a moment’s uptime and our six-weekly inspections, servicing and any repairs are simply not something we really need to think about.”
The new trucks are expected to cover some 160,000km/annum and are out on the road 5-days a week. “Running at 44-tonne most of the time, our operation is weight critical and the new axles really help us in this respect,” says John S. Revis.
Because the trucks provide national coverage to farms, the demands on them are varied. “We cover a lot of motorway miles as well as A-roads, B-roads and then farm tracks,” explains John. “The farm tracks can be a big ask, but the new Volvo FH 6×2 tractor units are just perfect across all the conditions we face. The I-Shift is far and away the market-leading automated gearbox and personally, I can’t see it being knocked of its perch anytime soon.”
While the performance, fuel efficiency and low tyre wear of the new FH tractor units all help the company’s bottom line, the ironmark has the added value of being a firm favourite with the company’s drivers. “They just love them,” says John. “What’s more, we get approached regularly by drivers looking for work because they see we’re running a modern fleet of Volvo trucks. At a time when driver recruitment is one of the haulage industry’s greatest concerns, it’s reassuring to know the pulling power of Volvo isn’t just down to the 500 horses under the cab.”
