The Rugeley, Staffordshire-based operator has already ordered nine trucks this year to grow its 33-strong HGV fleet, six of which are Volvo tractors – all FH-500s, apart from the FH16-750.
Apart from the range-topping power plant and cab, though, the flagship has been airbrushed by truck artist Matt Paint to the ‘Hitting the Apex’ theme, after the 2015 Mark Neale documentary about Moto-GP.
Hence the depiction of Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and the late great Marco Simoncelli in race colours on the cab of the FH16-750 against an arctic white background.
Customisation of the FH16-750 was carried out by Tor Trucks, which fitted the side skirts, chassis infill and sun visor extension, along with colour coded mirrors, wiper arms and panel detailing.
Ex-motorcycle enduro competitor James Lockett, who now drives the FH16-750, describes it as a dream come true.
“I don’t get that Monday morning feeling now I’m driving the FH16-750,” comments Lockett.
“Going north on the M6 over Shap, fully loaded, it just sits there at 56 mph in top all the way. Fuel is in the upper eights so that is good too.”
“The ‘Hitting the Apex’ theme was chosen as it is all about being the best,” explains Hawkins Logistics director Paul Hawkins.
“For us, Volvo represents good fuel economy – our fleet average is currently 8.8mpg and we carry out a wide range of haulage, including low loader work,” he continues.
“Hartshorne [the dealer] at Newcastle-Under-Lyme give us great service and we find our Volvo tractor units attract a very good residual value when we sell them on after four or five years.”
And he adds that, with a target of zero downtime, all his new Volvo tractors are on Volvo’s Gold R&M contracts, with Hartshorne providing overnight or Saturday servicing.
Anyone who wants a look can see this truck at the 36th Truckstar Festival, at the Assen TT Circuit in The Netherlands at the end of July.