Supplied by dealer Crossroads Truck and Bus, the Wakefield-based operator’s new additions are an FM11-330 and an FL814.
The larger of the two, the FM11-330, has an 11-litre engine and I-Shift automated gearbox. The 6x2 rigid has a seven-car body and will be used primarily to move stock between the operator’s Manchester, Sheffield and Warrington sites.
The FL814 has an 8-litre, 247bhp engine and a three-car body. This 4x2 rigid will also be used to collect customer’s cars for warranty work. It has been chosen to cope with loads its smaller predecessor found a struggle.
“Cars are getting heavier now, that’s why I opted for 14 tonnes,” explains Richard Westerman, buying manager for The Car People.
“You can put up to three cars on it and never be anywhere near challenging the maximum weight, while at the same time it’s still compact enough to collect from customers’ houses.”
He adds: “The Volvo FL has a 100% galvanised body, the first of its kind in the country, which means there’s no paint at all, no more rust or coming off the road for a week for an annual paintwork touch-up. The uprights are liveried by means of a thin veneer, which should outlast the vehicle.”
Both trucks are part of a fleet renewal programme, with the next addition pencilled in for later this year – also a Volvo, adds Westerman: “We wouldn’t have anything else now.”