Supplied by dealer Truck and Bus Wales and West, the Bristol-based operator’s FH 6x2 single tyre tag axle tractor has a D13K Euro VI engine rated at 533bhp, driving through an I-Shift 12-speed automated transmission.
A Jost JSK37 fifth wheel together with front steel and rear air suspension, round off the 3,000mm wheelbase chassis specification. The Globetrotter cab spec includes a Drive+, Single Bed and Media packages.
The FH-540 will be used to haul a new Faymonville, three-axle low loader trailer.
The pair of FM 8x2 single tyre, tag axle chassis come with 6,000mm wheelbases and rear air suspension. Both have the D11K Euro VI engine rated at 404bhp and I-Shift automated gearboxes. Their low-profile plant bodies are by Andover Trailers.
Plantforce also opted for Globetrotter cabs on both of the rigids, with Volvo’s Living and One Bed Resting packages.
As with all the Plantforce fleet, which is currently in transition from FORS Bronze to FORS Silver accreditation, the new Volvos come with additional safety equipment, including 360-degree camera systems and left-turn alarms.
“The arrival of Volvo trucks in our fleet last year, marked a significant change in our transport operations,” says Sam Mercer, operations director at Plantforce Rentals.
“In the past we outsourced our transport requirements, but the increasing fleet of Volvo vehicles is due to us bringing that policy back in-house.
“We’ve always seen own-account operations as a loss, but the Volvos are cutting that deficit and delivering such good savings that we have further FH and FM models on order for delivery early next year.”
The vehicles are supplied with three-year Volvo Gold R&M contracts.