Warrington-based Road & Sea Express have achieved an 8% improvement in overall fuel economy since making the decision in 2011 to change the entire truck fleet to 100% Volvo over the next five years.
Road & Sea Express Managing Director Stephen Jones reports that four new Volvo FL 18 tonners are delivering an improvement in fuel usage of up to 2mpg, compared to the non-Volvo trucks they replaced. He also says that the new FLs are also using ‘significantly’ less Adblue. The trucks are fitted with distinctive ‘teardrop’ bodywork as a further aid to improving their fuel economy.
The decision to make the change to become an all-Volvo fleet was made after extensive trials and competitive quotes from local Volvo dealer Thomas Hardie Commercials for the five-year Repair and Maintenance contracts that all the new FLs are on.
The family-owned company has had good experience with Volvo and Thomas Hardie Commercials in the past says Stephen and is looking at a 12-tonner as the next possible purchase. “Since we began operating Volvos again, I just have a smile on my face whenever I see one of our trucks on the road.”
Maintenance is carried out at Thomas Hardie’s depot at Warrington. According to Stephen Jones, Thomas Hardie Commercials’ flexibility when it came to overnight and weekend servicing was a key reason for Volvo winning the business.
“We can have the trucks serviced at Warrington or at Middlewich or in fact any of Thomas Hardie’s workshops. The costs are fixed for five years and Thomas Hardie have OK’d it for us to transfer the trucks to work out of our Northern Ireland distribution depot should we want. We have an operation in Mallusk and Volvo has a strong network in Northern Ireland.”
