The truck, supplied by Thomas Hardie Commercials, Trafford Park, joins the Macclesfield operator’s 15-strong fleet, and was selected for its proven performance with extended engine idling.
“This truck spends most of its working life with the engine idling,” explains managing director Mark Clewley.
“With Euro 6, we have experienced some issues with trucks as a result of extended periods on tick-over, so when it came to selecting this latest addition, we decided to return to our roots and to Volvo – and we’re delighted with that decision.”
The company’s first truck was a Volvo FL6, purchased in 2009 when Clewley Sweepers was started by Mark and family friend Paul Blaylock, operations director for the company.
“The Volvo FL6 has been a beautiful wagon,” says Clewley. “It now has over 440,000km on the clock, yet it is still out working most days.”
And he adds: “The build quality and reliability, the back-up from the dealer including a three-year driveline warranty, the residual value of Volvo trucks, the comfort and drivability all combine to make this sweeper nothing less than absolutely the right choice.”
The new Volvo FL with rear leaf suspension and a Comfort cab and single bunk, is powered by the six-cylinder Volvo D8K engine, delivering 280bhp and up to 1,050Nm torque, driving through a six-speed manual gearbox.
“The 22.5 inch wheel size on the FL was important to us, too, as these wheels enable the truck to drop into the cut when a road’s being milled, without causing damage to the tyres, rims or suspension,” comments Clewley.
“The new Volvo FL is out working double shifts covering 24-hours and seven-days per week,” he continues.
“Time spent working ... equates to many hours each day with the engine idling and the truck in first gear. It’s a really demanding work cycle, but one that I’m very happy to say the Volvo FL is taking in its stride.”