Following a joint procurement exercise, Somerset West and Taunton Council and North Devon Council have both awarded a seven-year (+7) contract hire agreement for the provision and maintenance of their fleets to Specialist Fleet Services Ltd (SFS). The contracts, which both commenced on 1 October, involve the replacement and management of nearly 200 vehicles.
Municipal Vehicles
Thame-based West Coast Haulage is taking delivery of 60 Volvo FMX tippers in one of the largest deals for the new model to-date. The order was secured by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East.
Tippers
Wolfgang Theissen, who took over as managing director of Mercedes-Benz Trucks in August 2020, died on 7 September.
People
National waste recycling specialist Recycling Lives has ordered the UK’s first two battery-electric 18-tonne Renault D Wide Z.E. skip loaders.
Electric Vehicles
Following the launch of battery-electric refuse collection vehicles in London, NRG Riverside has worked with corporate cousin Electra Commercial Vehicles to create four temperature-controlled distribution vehicles ranging from a 19-tonne rigid vehicle to a 13.6m trailer.
Electric Vehicles
To make road transport safer and simpler, a new CAN bus-based electrical infrastructure has been developed which, together with digital sensors, will facilitate functional growth in the future. The company says that this offers development potential for the future and serves as the first step towards digitised functions, which will help drivers to handle coupling functions.
Couplings
Mellor, the Rochdale-based bus manufacturer, has launched a new bus: Orion Evolution is a 5.5-tonne, 27-passenger vehicle. The 8m-long vehicle features a 180bhp engine driving through a nine-speed automatic ZF gearbox, sliding door, access ramp and seating for up to 20 passengers, or 17 with a wheelchair. The product launch is occurring at the same time as the busmaker receives significant investment and an ‘exciting’ repositioning of its business activities for 2022.
Bus & Coach
A family-run logistics business continues to lead the way in promoting more sustainable fuel choices having become the first in the UK to adopt the next generation in environmentally responsible truck-mounted forklifts.
Forklift Trucks
The rapidly-changing weight structure of new cars being bought in the UK during the most recent post COVID period, driven primarily by the increasing number of much heavier electric and hybrid cars now being sold, has led Fallowfield Vehicle Deliveries to specify a brand-new Isuzu 13.5 tonne twin deck car transporter within its seven-strong vehicle delivery fleet.
Car Transporters
Webfleet TPMS provides predictive tyre management integrated into the Webfleet fleet management solution. Designed for heavy commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, it utilises sensors that continuously monitor tyre pressure levels and tyre temperature. The information is sent to the Webfleet Telematics Service Platform for analysis.
Tyres & Retreads
Collins Earthworks is taking delivery this month of two Volvo FH13 540 6x4 heavy haulage chassis, which are added to the five new FMX 500 Globetrotter 6x4 tractor units for operation with ejector trailers. The FMXs are amongst the first new model FMX tractors to be delivered in the UK.
Hydraulic systems
Trailer manufacturer Krone has expanded its parts supply service from its Leeds depot.
Trailers