The addition of a new Volvo FM-410 Tridem 8×4 is helping Mona Precast deliver market leading customer service to the family owned company’s customers in North Wales and across the UK.
Mona Precast, who manufacture high quality concrete building blocks, block paving and bespoke concrete products, are based at Gaerwen, Anglesey.
According to Monas Precast Managing Director Christopher Jones, the FM-410 Tridem, which was supplied by Thomas Hardie Commercials, Deeside, is achieving demonstrable improvements in operational efficiency and productivity that are having a positive impact on the excellent customer service that the company is already known for.
These are, reports Christopher, due to the FM-410 Tridem being able to make more customer deliveries in a typical working day. Thanks to the truck’s rearsteer tag-axle configuration, it is able to get on and off sites with tight access, more efficiently and quicker than a conventional 8×4.
Although Mona Precast supply all the major construction companies and merchants, much of the FM-410 Tridem’s work involves deliveries to construction sites on farms down the narrow, winding, hilly rural roads of North Wales.
“The Tridem is our first rigid to have air suspension,” explains Christopher Jones, before adding: “I think that it will prove to be kinder to our products and also to the rear-mounted HIAB crane which will undergo less shocks. Tim, who drives the Tridem, has been with us for over twenty years. He is a very experienced driver and has driven a number of our other Volvo eight wheelers. He was involved right from the beginning in the specification of the Tridem, including giving his input to the bodybuilder. We value the feedback from the drivers and take it on board when specifying trucks.”
Mona Precast operate seven Volvo trucks in the company’s eight strong fleet and Christopher Jones reports that he is ‘confident’ that the FM Tridem will deliver benefits in terms of the company’s professional image and also in customer service, thanks to its ability to get into sites with tight access that would cause difficulties for a conventional eight wheeler.
“We know Volvo and we know Thomas Hardie Commercials. We worked with David Hill at the dealership and also the bodybuilder and crane installer using Volvo’s bodybuilder interface. We use a 7.6 metre length body as standard, together with a rear mounted HIAB XS144 crane. Volvo produced calculations and drawings for the turning circles, chassis packaging and crane position. Despite specifying the sleeper cab, we have not experienced any manouverability problems. The driver reports that the Tridem has very good ground clearance on site. The Tridem configuration will also help avoid overloading. We are hoping for a ten year operating life from this truck and we will sell it complete at the end of that period.”
Maintenance is carried out overnight at Thomas Hardie Commercials, Deeside under a five year Volvo Repair and Maintenance contract.