Based near Alfreton, Derbyshire, Berrisford Sweeper Hire Ltd is one of the largest privately owned road sweeper specialists in the region and has spent the last 17 years building up a reputation for good service and reliability. The latter two quality factors were firmly at the forefront of Director Ian Berrisford’s mind when he ordered the company’s latest new vehicle from local Volvo dealer, Hartshorne Motor Services.
“Originally we always bought Volvo trucks, but I shifted to another manufacturer after they offered us a good deal,” Ian explains.
It was a move he would regret. “The vehicles aren’t performing; they’re simply not up to the job. We try to replace our trucks every three years, but I’ve got an old 03-plate Volvo FL6 as a spare lorry and it’s the best in my yard by far, it’s forever getting us out of trouble. So we’re going to slowly go through the whole ten-vehicle fleet, returning them to Volvos.”
Supplied by Chris Thorne, Truck Sales Executive at Hartshorne Motor Services, the recently delivered FE-818 4×2 rigid chassis features a 3900mm wheelbase fitted with a Volvo D8K Euro-6 engine producing 250hp and a Johnston Sweeper body. Kelsa light bars, rear view mirror guards and paintwork by Lant Lane Ltd, all add to the FE’s top presentation standards.
However, the biggest change for Berrisford is the inclusion of its first automated manual transmission system in the form of Volvo’s I-Shift.
“It’s all new to us, we’ve always had manual gearboxes,” Ian tells us, “but it’s easy to drive and is doing really well. The FE is a step up from the FL, a bit meatier, and it’s ideal for both building sites and motorway work,” he continues, “plus it has a nice, roomy sleeper for occasional nights out.”
For a fleet covering everywhere from private industrial estates to landfill sites, this versatility is vital. Fortunately, Ian is already convinced he’s made the right choice.
“I’ve ordered another lorry to the same specifications for March delivery, then once that’s on the fleet we’ll order the next for later in the year and so on” he says. “We’ve got a long history with Volvo and Hartshorne’s and their service is second-to-none, so we’ve also gone for full repair and maintenance this time, on a Gold Service Contract package.”
With a workshop just two miles away offering after-hours servicing the choice seemed obvious, and Ian’s verdict sums up his whole Volvo experience: “It’s just so simple, isn’t it?”
