The tractor was one of a pair of new arrivals and the first Volvo trucks to join the Dundee-based operator’s fleet. The other vehicle is an FH-500 with standard I-Shift transmission. Both are 6x2 pusher axle chassis with Globetrotter cabs, and were supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland.
Both are specified with Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels, Xenon headlights and Hyva tipping gear. The interiors also feature twin bunks, leather seats, fridge-freezers and microwave ovens.
David Wilkie, operations manager at JL Wilkie & Co, says the I-Shift Dual Clutch is “the best gearbox I’ve ever used in a truck”.
He adds: “Our operation sees trucks regularly go off-road on to farm access tracks, and the public roads to reach these locations are also challenging. That environment brings its own mpg challenges and includes a fair share of soft surfaces. I-Shift Dual Clutch never requires any manual intervention and it never gets stuck in the mud, as there’s no interruption to power delivery.”
Using Dynafleet, Volvo’s fleet management system, Wilkie is monitoring fuel performance for both vehicles. The FH-540 I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission is delivering better figures than its standard I-Shift stablemate, although Wilkie expects returns from the latter to improve as the vehicle beds in.
“But the current returns from I-Shift Dual Clutch are remarkable. That transmission is undoubtedly the future and it has to be specified with every new truck we order from now on.”
Both trucks are supplied on a four-year contract hire with Volvo Gold Plus R&M contracts.