News About Tractor Units in the UK (244)

Tractor units are the most common type of truck on the UK’s roads. Add to this that they are the largest and you will see why there is so much interest in these types of trucks. For the uninitiated, a tractor unit is the front part of an articulated truck and trailer combination – on its own it is not much use, but couples to a semi trailer can carry over 20 tonnes of payload.

The type of news we cover on these pages ranges from ‘which company bought which tractor unit’ to legislation changes and new tractor unit launch information.

As you would expect, there are always plenty of truck buyers looking to buy a used tractor unit, this is why Truckpages is the best resource to view tractor units for sale in the UK.

On the Truckpages search facility, in addition to filtering by make, model, year etc. it is possible to filter results by axle configuration – most tractor units in the UK are 6×2 with midlift or rearlift axles, but there are some smaller, 4×2 versions that are tractor units for for urban deliveries or for international operation (our continental friends do not use 6×2 as they have no weight benefit).

Other specialist filters include gross train weight (heavy haulage tractor units can go right up to 150 tonnes and beyond), cab type, transmission type and even emission levels.

 

Onpoint Logistics has taken delivery of its first Volvo FH Aero 6×2 tractor unit with a view to adding a further 20 should the new arrival hit the fuel figures expected. The Birmingham-based operator is running its latest addition – which replaces a vehicle from a rival manufacturer – on HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) to…

Well, that’s an impressive sight. Check out the night time aerial view of A&M Commercial‘s Warrington site on this week’s front cover. Tractor units as far as the eye can see – largely arranged by colour too – someone’s been busy! You cannot fail to admire the professionalism displayed at this used truck sales site….

Scottish timber transporter Coille Haulage has secured three Volvo FH 540 tractor units on a four-year contract hire deal via Asset Alliance Group. Two of the new arrivals have already been pressed into service replacing older assets, moving the firm’s heavy loads from Scotland’s West Coast to paper and sawmills across the country. Bruce Johnston,…

After the delivery of two new Volvo FH Aero, these trucks will need to perform. The Volvo dealer’s sales guy has done his job – getting the sale of two new Volvo trucks into a predominantly Scania fleet in the first place – pushing a promise of fuel savings. The new FH Aeros have been…

Stefan Rosendaal from Rosendaal Transport accepted the keys of his brand new DAF XG 480 4×2 Efficiency Champion, the 125,000th New Generation DAF truck to leave the production lines at DAF. This landmark vehicle, equipped with the efficient PACCAR MX-13 engine, will be put into operation across Europe. Manufactured in both Eindhoven (the Netherlands) and…

MAN Truck & Bus UK has launched a series of e-Truck road trials in partnership with DPD with a MAN eTGX tractor, with a range of up to 800 km and an ultra-fast charging capacity of up to 750 kW. Based at DPD’s Hinckley Hub 4, the eTGX will undergo a comprehensive induction and driver…

Carmarthen-based Davies Crane Hire has continued its long-standing relationship with Volvo Trucks by welcoming a 150-tonne FH16 780 6×4 tractor unit into its operation. Supplied by Wayne Delve, Sales Executive, Truck and Bus Cymru, the new arrival – which features Europe’s most powerful truck engine – is one of the first Volvo FH16 780s operating…

Joda Freight has expanded its busy commercial vehicle fleet with the addition of six new Volvo FH Aero 6×2 tractor units. The Yorkshire-based business has a long-standing working relationship with the manufacturer and its local Volvo dealer, Crossroads Truck and Bus, in Birstall. The latest intake of Volvos will be used on a variety of…

Infinity Container Logistics has taken delivery of 10 Volvo FH Aero 6×2 tractor units, with the new arrivals already outperforming all other trucks on the company’s fleet in terms of fuel efficiency. The Felixstowe-based business is using the FH Aeros – which replace older Volvo models – for containerised haulage to and from ports across…

Behind every great music gig or touring play is a fleet of trucks that gets everything where it needs to go. Taking a starring role on the Southern Van Lines fleet are a pair of Iveco S-Way 490 (AS440S49T/FP LT) low-chassis trucks tasked with travelling across Europe, to keep the show on the road. From…

Once available as a Stralis 6×2 CNG tractor unit from Iveco, their S-Way replacement has taken a little while to appear. In the meantime, a few Iveco dealers have undertaken the conversion themselves. Now available via Iveco themselves, the new 6×2 option will allow running at 44-tonnes GVW powered by CNG. With refuelling times comparable…

History shows one indisputable fact for leading haulier RT Keedwell – when it comes to fuel efficiency, the Mercedes-Benz Actros just keeps getting better. The Somerset-based operator has been running Actros tractor units as a mainstay of its fleet of more than 400 trucks since 2012, and has seen consistent improvements from each generation. “Our…

Irish and European transport specialist, DG McArdle International, has taken delivery of a flagship DAF XG+ 530 75 Years Truck Production Special Edition. The anniversary truck, supplied by DAF Distributors Ireland (DDI), commemorates 75 years of DAF truck production and joins McArdle’s established mixed-marque fleet, which includes over 30 DAF tractor units. The DAF XG+…

County Cork-based Barry O’Connor Transport Ltd is reaping the rewards of a new Volvo FH 540 Globetrotter XL 6×2 tractor unit, acquired due to the brand’s reputation for comfort, reliability and vehicle performance. Supplied by Gerard Sheehan, Sales Executive, McCarthy Commercials, the new Volvo is the latest in a long line of products from the…

An all-electric parcel delivery company, HIVED, has placed an order for 11 Mercedes-Benz eActros as it expands the UK’s only end-to-end electric delivery network, covering middle and final mile. HIVED has ordered nine eActros 600 and two eActros 400 from Mercedes-Benz Dealer partner, Motus Truck & Van. They will operate across HIVED’s nationwide middle mile…

United Utilities has added four new Volvo FM Electric 6×2 tractor units into its commercial vehicle fleet. The zero-tailpipe emission trucks, which replace outgoing diesel models, will be powered by electricity from CHP (combined heat and power) generators, which harness gas produced through United Utilities own anaerobic digesters, providing a fully sustainable fuel source. A…

A drastic improvement in fuel performance from its first two Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor units brought Casterton Haulage to the inevitable decision to invest in a third. Sheffield based Casterton took its first pair of Actros from Dealer Bell Truck and Van last year – both are highly specified 4×2 units for work across Europe. Managing…

German fleets are pressing ahead with the introduction of electric trucks into their operations. It comes as no surprise that there is plenty of funding to achieve this goal. Even for the largest of operators, DB Schenker had their first ten MAN eTrucks funded by the ‘Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport’ as part of…

Myers Transport has taken delivery of its first Renault Trucks T High Turbo Compound vehicle, a move that’s being signalled as a game-changer by the Aylesford-based company. Already delivering an impressive 11 mpg, the new addition marks a crucial leap forward in the company’s mission to drive down fuel costs further and to lower its…

This week is packed with CNG truck news and joining the fray sees a company complete their transition from diesel to all CNG operation inside just three years. In March 2022, FSEW embarked on a mission to dramatically decarbonise road freight by 2025. Today, it has completed that mission, by removing its final four diesel…