This is the first time the IVECO brand has joined the 200-strong fleet with the S-WAYs, part of a fleet refresh involving 50 new trucks being put on the road and 40 trucks being de-fleeted in the last few months.
Externally, Alcoa Diamant alloy wheels have been specified alongside LED Headlamps with cornering and bending fog lights, LED rear lights, an electric cab tilt and additional under cab storage. The bigger high roof AS sleeper cab accommodates two large bunks while a cab air kit with corner fins helps maximise the IVECO S-WAY’s impressive aerodynamics.
“We are currently expanding and renewing the fleet as the business grows and when the IVECO S-WAYs became available they fitted in perfectly with what we needed. The IVECO brand is a new addition to our fleet and the drivers were really keen to get behind the wheel of the new S-WAY.Feedback from them has been extremely positive. Opting for the bigger AS cab has also meant more living space for the driver when they are away from home,” explained Mike Brown, GBA’s head of fleet and compliance.
The IVECO S-WAYs have been put to work on a contract with a national retailer which involves trunking double deck trailers between distribution centres in Amesbury, Wiltshire, and Sheffield. Typically, the trucks are running at between 40-44 tonnes and so far, the Cursor 11 diesel engine mated to the 12-speed automatic HI-TRONIX gearbox is returning 10mpg.
The trucks were purchased outright from IVECO dealer Walton Summit in Preston with a two-year warranty and are set to cover around 160,000km annually. Walton Summit completed the S-WAY’s high spec by fitting a full-size catwalk, rear of cab ‘A’ Frame, wheel nut markers, Anderson connectors, Haz Chem plates, an anti-syphon device, an additional rear work light and Direct Vision camera kits.
Like many logistics providers GBA is looking to improve its environmental credentials and Brown and his fleet team have signed up to reducing emissions by 50% by 2024.
“We are very mindful of reducing our carbon footprint and are looking at a number of different options including the IVECO CNG proposition. We are doing the numbers on gas versus diesel and as the fuel network improves it is becoming more of a viable option,” said Brown.