Groupe CAT, automotive logistics giant, which acquired CVT in 2017, is renewing its fleet with a significant investment of 60 Scania car transporters.
Supplied by local dealer, TruckEast Limited, the order consists of 57 420 P low-roof rigids and 3 420 G 4×2 highline tractor units. Each truck is powered by a 13-litre Super engine and all-new driveline. Generating a peak torque of 2,300Nm for the P cabs and 2,500Nm for the G, all trucks feature the latest powertrain including the lighter R756 single reduction rear axle, partnered perfectly with a two-pedal Opticruise G25 gearbox. The result being precision manoeuvring, quicker and smoother gear changes and an effortless driving experience.
The first sixteen have already entered service, with the P cabs equipped with short-low rigid drawbar 11-car transporters. The bodies, supplied by both Rolfo and Transporter Engineering, have been built to Groupe CAT’s own design with load flexibility in mind; an essential factor when considering the ever-growing variants of cars available in the UK market.
Its latest trucks, both tractor units and rigids, are the first to wear the company’s smartly updated white and blue livery and rebrand as Groupe CAT. Joining CVT’s 150-strong fleet, the trucks will support all major automotive manufacturers in the UK, delivering cars the length and breadth of the country.
With a long history of choosing Scania, both in the UK for CVT and internationally as Groupe CAT, the business attributes the long-standing relationship to the product quality of the Swedish marque.
“Quite simply, it’s the best truck for our operation and has been for a long time. Its reliability, comfort and overall suitability have yet to be matched. And arguably, more importantly, we’ve always had the aftersales support,” comments Groupe CAT UK’s Managing Director, Steve Reynolds.
“Uptime is vital for our fleet. It’s not a simple matter of dropping a unit and putting another underneath, the trucks must be reliable and with the back-up there when we need it,” he continues.
With an estimated 110,000km a year, the trucks will operate on a combination of networking and trunking, with some drivers stopping out 3-nights a week. The working environment is therefore an important factor when choosing the specification.
“Although we require the low flat roof for our rigids, we choose the sleeper cab, which not only offers more space, but it is extremely comfortable. Scania have always had a great environment for the drivers, and they’ll see this even more so coming out of the models that these trucks are replacing,” states Steve Reynolds.
Replacing existing older models, the latest assets bring a completely new environment for Groupe CAT’s drivers. They’ll benefit from all the advances in the current model such as increased visibility, due to the seating position and lower side windows and maximised comfort from the cabs design.
As with the rest of the fleet, the vehicles are backed by a full 7-year R&M package, centrally managed by TruckEast but maintained throughout the UK network of 84 branches.
“Our operation runs UK-wide, so the breadth of Scania’s aftersales network has always been important. No matter where our trucks are in the UK we know there is a branch nearby,” concludes Steve Reynolds.
The remaining trucks are scheduled for delivery throughout 2024 and early part of 2025 with the latter half of the order featuring Scania’s new Smart Dash and digital eco-system.
Groupe CAT operates a fleet of 1,200 vehicle carriers across Europe. Priding itself on its agility and reliability, Groupe CAT is one of the European leaders in automotive transport and logistics.
