Pallet distribution, transport, storage and warehousing services provider Edge Transport, a family-owned company and Palletline member, has taken delivery of the first new-series Volvo trucks to enter service with its 32 strong truck fleet – 12 of which are now Volvos.
The new Volvos, six FM-450 6×2 tractor units and three FL-250 18-tonne GVW 4×2 rigids, were supplied by Thomas Hardie Commercials at Deeside. All the trucks, including the FLs, have been placed on Gold R&M contracts with Volvo’s unique Uptime Assurance.
Maintenance of the trucks is carried out overnight at Thomas Hardie’s Deeside depot. Thomas Hardie also service and MOT test Edge Transport’s trailers.
Edge Transport Managing Director Jonathan Edge reports that Thomas Hardie’s servicing is ‘Extremely good’, saying that: “To maximise fleet efficiency, trucks are collected between 6 and 7pm and returned ready for work between 3 and 4am in the morning. Our trailers are serviced at Deeside during the day,” he explains.
Covering between 80,000 and 150,000 kms a year, the 11-litre, 450 hp, FM artics are double-shifted – often hauling single axle trailers on pallet deliveries during the day on the narrow lanes of rural Wales. The FMs’ second shift sees them on trunking duties during the night. By contrast, the FL 18 tonners will cover between 65,000 and 80,000 kms a year each.
Jonathan Edge reports that the company will shortly be placing orders for a further six Volvo trucks. In this case, two FH tractor units and four FL rigids.
Edge Transport, which was founded in Chester in 1933 by Jonathan Edge’s grandfather, will soon be moving from its premises near Wrexham to a purpose-built facility next door to Thomas Hardie Commercials on the Deeside Industrial Estate.
The company’s first Volvos were three FL 4×2 rigids on ‘62 plates. These were purchased 18 months ago and, according to Jonathan Edge, have performed well.
“Our drivers like the Volvos,” says Jonathan Edge, before adding that, “they have given us very positive feedback about the FLs and the FMs. I think that running Volvos is a big plus as far as the drivers are concerned. I spend a lot of time talking to our staff and the drivers take a great deal of pride in their trucks. We have recently taken on six newly-qualified drivers and we are also talking to West Cheshire College about expanding our apprenticeship scheme.”
Specification of the FMs includes I-Shift automated gearboxes and the FLs are all equipped with Volvo’s I-Sync automatic transmission.
