The High Wycombe-based operator ordered 40 Antos rigids and six 7.5-tonne Fuso Canters from Scottish dealer Western Commercial, chosen for its proximity to Gray & Adams and Jock Borthwick Trucks, both of which fitted refrigeration equipment and ancillaries.
Graham Rennie, Bidvest 3663's director of fleet, says the company decided to look at Euro 6 vehicles, and the Mercedes demonstrator "lived up to its billing, returning noticeably better mpg figures than our fleet average".
The Antos rigids – 39 18-tonne 1827 models and one 26-tonne 3532 – are now operating from Bidvest's Bicester site. The six 7.5-tonne Fuso Canter 7C15s are based at its Ivybridge depot, near Plymouth.
"The Canter is not much bigger than a 3.5-tonne van, but it offers an excellent body and payload capacity," says Rennie. "Even with a fridge body, we can still carry three tonnes of product.
"The vehicle's compact dimensions, low-entry cab and Duonic automated gearbox also make it relatively easy for our drivers to manoeuvre in the narrow lanes and tight town-centre streets of Devon and Cornwall."