Bulk tipping and heavy haulage company Banks Brothers has invested almost £900,000 in 12 new Volvo FM-440 trucks as part of its five-year replacement policy.
The Euro-5 artics replace seven Mercedes Actros and five older Volvo FMs and
qualify for the Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC). Bill Unsworth, transport operations director at Banks Brothers, says: "We are saving £500 per vehicle on annual road tax, which equates to £6,000 for the fleet. It is a massive saving for us."
He adds that a major factor influencing the purchase of the Volvos was dealer service and reliability. "We replace our trucks every five years and they need to be reliable. Our past experience using Volvos has demonstrated that, hence the decision."
Banks Brother's new Volvos will form part of a 16-truck fleet comprising one Mercedes Actros, two Volvo FHs and an Iveco Daily van. The latest acquisitions will be used to service an open-cast mine near Cramlington, Northumberland.
The haulage firm has specified all 12 FM-440s with Volvo's I-Shift automatic gearbox,
not only for fuel economy benefits but also for driver comfort.
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