Falkirk-based Ian Craig Haulage has taken delivery of its first new Volvo trucks for a decade, buying two FH Aero Globetrotter 6×2 mid-lift tractor units.
They join a 70-strong fleet and will operate on long-haul routes to destinations across the UK.
The firm has chosen the turbo compound 500hp I-Save engine, which is designed to produce 300Nm more torque at low revs compared to a regular D13 engine with the same power output.
This means fewer downshifts and less fuel is needed to maintain a steady speed.
Colin Craig, director of Ian Craig Haulage, said: “In this industry you have to be open to trying new things.
“We’d heard a lot of positive comments about the FH Aero’s fuel efficiency from other fleets, and several factors came together to make it the right time to try them for ourselves.”
There were other factors in making the deal too. The first was local dealer Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland opened a Vehicle Maintenance Unit (VMU) last year in Grangemouth, just eight miles from Ian Craig Haulage’s operating base. This site operates as a satellite to the main dealership in Edinburgh.
Also critical was the expertise of transport solutions executive Jonny Devlin, coupled with short lead times from the factory, as Colin explained: “Jonny’s persistence really paid off. He’s a wonderful brand ambassador for Volvo Trucks, knows his stuff, and it’s been a pleasure working with him.
“Nothing was too much trouble, and the result is a pair of new Volvos which look fantastic.”
The trucks are supplied on a three-year Volvo Gold Contract, and are expected to clock-up around 150,000km per annum, running five days a week.
It is still early days, but the new arrivals are already impressing on fuel, matching the best performance of any other truck in the fleet, and are consuming noticeably less AdBlue.
Both are specified with the new Camera Monitoring System, introduced with the launch of the FH Aero last year to further improve aerodynamics and save energy.
The cameras open up a driver’s visual field in both good and challenging conditions, whilst an in-built surveillance mode lets the driver see outside the truck even when the curtains are drawn, for maximum protection and security.
Each truck has been finished to a high specification, with a full leather interior, in-built fridge, microwave oven and Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels.
The 12.8-litre Euro-6 diesel engines deliver the maximum 500hp between 1,250 and 1,600rpm and up to 2,800Nm of torque between 900 and 1,250 rev/min.
Ian Craig Haulage brings more than 50 years of experience to the transport and logistics sector in Scotland. The firm is best known for its service to the bricks & blocks and timber sectors – working for some of the construction and logging industry’s largest suppliers and manufacturers.
