Featherstone, West Yorks-based international haulier Brian Yeardley Continental has taken on six new low-height, 4x2 Volvo FH-480s to complement 15 new Krone Mega Liner trailers with variable ride height.
The left-hand-drive trucks will operate across Europe,
predominately in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal, on driver-accompanied groupage work.
They were chosen for the mixture of competitive price and the service provided by local Volvo dealer Crossroads Truck and Bus.
Director Brian Yeardley says: "We were looking at Scanias, but the overall package that Volvo provided was the clincher. The dealer has a thorough knowledge of our operation and this in turn helps to maintain vehicle efficiency."
The tractors come fitted with the company's I-Shift transmission, which according to Yeardley has helped keep fuel consumption competitive, though he resisted the inclusion of Volvo's Dynafleet vehicle monitoring system "as it was hard to justify the cost".
He adds: "We've asked the dealer to supply data on engine running times when stationary but that's as much as we need."
The Volvos have been acquired on hire purchase with a 48-month R&M contract, with maintenance carried out at Crossroads' Normanton
workshops.
When it came to the trailers it was a choice between Krone and Schmitz Cargobull, but the former offered better overall support, says Yeardley.
The trailers are suited to its groupage business which specialises in high-volume cargo.
They come with a 100m³ capacity and a hydraulic roof that allows a maximum lift of 450mm.
Variable ride height of 120mm at the front and 50mm at the rear allows the operator to adjust between maximum internal height to suit the load or lower overall height to improve fuel return.
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