The multi-million-pound investment will see approximately 170 Volvo FM 330 6x2 rear-steer rigid trucks delivered into service over the next two years 鈥� in both Travis Perkins and Keyline Civils Specialist liveries.
Half of the trucks are ordered for delivery for this year, with the other 85 in 2023.
The vehicles were specified after a strategic fleet review led by technical fleet director Karl Wilshaw. They join a 1,600-strong commercial vehicle fleet that the Travis Perksin group operates.
The new vehicles form a part of the group鈥檚 fleet decarbonisation plan, with reduced emission Euro VI Step E diesel engines. The additional capability to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) will provide the opportunity to deploy the trucks into locations that are HVO enabled through a trial that began in 2021 and now includes 30 branches and 200 trucks nationwide.
The trucks are fitted with Hiab loader cranes and benefit from a nine-tonne front axle, a 12-speed automated I-Shift transmission and an improved turning circle versus the 18-tonners they replace, thanks to Volvo鈥檚 hydraulically steered tag axle.
Karl Wilshaw said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 so rewarding for all those involved to see this project coming to fruition; a huge amount of work went into consulting with our drivers, researching the latest available technologies and developing the build with Volvo Trucks, bodybuilder Massey Truck Engineering and crane supplier Hiab. We are really pleased with the result. We have FORS Gold accreditation, and these trucks play right into our continuous improvement efforts. They look fantastic, and they鈥檙e enabling our teams to operate more efficiently and safely.鈥�
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