Bulk Volvo order for aggregates company JPE 27 March 2013

Twenty Volvo FM-410 8x4 tippers have entered service with Midlands-based JPE, which supplies aggregates, sand and soils to the construction industry.

The trucks have been equipped with I-Shift transmissions and Volvo's Dynafleet telematics. A larger AdBlue tank was also specified to reduce the requirement for drivers to top up during the week.

All the vehicles are powered by Volvo's D11C engine, rated at 410bhp. With maximum torque of 1,950Nm developed between 950 and 1400rpm, the D11C-410 offers good driveability and competitive unladen weight for tipper applications.

JPE director Steve Birch reports that initial analysis of the Dynafleet data, coupled to driver development by Hartshorne Group, has reduced JPE's average fuel usage by up to 20%, improving mpg from 6 to 7.5 at 32 tonnes gvw across a variety of on-off road duties.

As for the tippers themselves, a selection of steel and aluminium was specified for the Boweld Taperlite bodies as the new Volvos' duties are split 50:50 between sand and gravel haulage, and muckaway.

A target payload of 20 tonnes was set for the steel-bodied FMs and 21.5 tonnes for the aluminium bodied FMs and Birch reports that this was achieved, despite all the trucks being on steel wheels.

The company originally trialled I-Shift automated transmissions in five Volvo FMs – demonstrating that specifying I-Shift improved clutch life from 18 months to three years – despite use on muckshifting duties.

"We've specified the Volvos in a way that gives us considerable flexibility," comments Birch. "Also, the combination of [Volvo dealer] Hartshorne's driver development and Volvo's Dynafleet telematics is helping us build on the skills of our drivers to make a better workforce."

Author
John Chjallen

Related Companies
Volvo Group UK Ltd

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