The outgoing Volvo FH tractor units belonging to concrete frame construction specialist MPB Structures never once missed a beat during the three-year contract.  That said, they were never worked as hard as many tractor units – covering just 80,000kms per year and often standing for days at a time on site.

Volvo FH Tractor Unit 6x2
Smart Livery for MPB Structures new Volvo FH500 6×2 Tractor Units

Mark Price, Transport Manager at the business values the reliability over any other factor, thanks to the nature of their business.  Failing to deliver one part of a tower crane would literally be the weak link in an expensive chain.

New Four-Year Contract Hire Deal

Thanks to the reliability of the earlier trucks that were only on a three-year deal, Price has decided that the company could gamble on a four-year contract for the new FH500 trucks and FH540 which will be used for heavy, low loader assignments.

Price said:

The trucks these replace didn’t miss a beat in service, so it made sense to plan on keeping their replacements for a little longer. Aside from a puncture, we simply never had a breakdown – and the only workshop which ever saw them was our local dealer in Wellingborough for routine maintenance.

The new trucks are expected to cover around 80,000 km a year and have been supplied on contract hire by Volvo Financial Services with a Volvo Gold Contract repair and maintenance package – which includes a 100 per cent uptime promise.

Price explains further:

Vehicle reliability is our number one priority, when we’re moving the sections of crane, every component has to arrive in order. If one load gets delayed due to a breakdown, it can cost the business huge sums of money in delays.

MPB Structures has specified the new Volvo tractor units with a pair of additional external lockers, which drivers can use for keeping loading straps in optimum condition when not in use – avoiding them being left loose on trailers or cluttering the cab interior. The trucks also feature a nearside Sidescan cycle safety system, 360-degree cameras, white noise reversing alarm and LED beacons, ensuring they meet FORS Silver and CLOCS standards.

There’s an App for That

Drivers also benefit from Volvo’s My Truck remote access app, allowing them to check the dashboard, set the desired in-cab climate, check door lock status and act on alarms from their smartphones – no matter where they are.

“Our trucks can frequently stand for a couple of days between jobs, so the team use the app to check fuel, oil, coolant and fluid levels as well as battery and light status before they need to set off. It gives us additional confidence in the truck’s pre-trip readiness, plus our drivers love being able to pre-warm the cab on colder days. It’s a really nice feature for them.”