Supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia, the Cambridgeshire-based operator’s new addition is specified with a host of comfort and safety features.
As well as the air suspension, it has Volvo’s Driving Plus, Visibility Plus and Dynafleet packages, along with air horns, load indicator, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane keeping warning, electronic stability programme and all-round camera system.
It also comes with a seven-year Volvo Gold R&M contract.
Managing director Paul Huggins says: “The all-round air suspension, the astounding manoeuvrability thanks to the rear-steer tag-axle, the super quiet Globetrotter cab, with leather steering wheel and leather upholstered, deluxe driver’s seat, that’s both suspended and heated/ventilated... all combine to create the most comfortable work environment possible. Furthermore, the 12-speed I-Shift automated transmission is just fantastic.”
Collecting potatoes and delivering them to the operator’s insulated store is “relatively straightforward”, he says thanks to the use of forklift trucks.
“However, when it comes to delivery in Greater London the job becomes very manual,” adds Huggins. “It’s normally a case of off-loading sacks of potatoes by hand and then wheeling them down the street on a barrow. It’s hard work.”
The new truck is powered by an 11-litre D11K engine producing 330bhp and up to 1600Nm of torque.
“I generally only put somewhere in the region of 12-14 tonnes of potatoes on board because of the fact they have to be off-loaded by hand,” explains Huggins. “As such, the 330bhp engine is more than enough. I am optimistic the fuel economy, for what is essentially multi-drop work, will beat the 9.2 mpg returned by my previous Euro 5 version.”