Bucking the trend, steel haulier Simec Transport has been busy adding new trucks to the fleet. Thanks to the existing Volvos’ fuel economy and the service received at the local Volvo Truck dealership, Truck and Bus Wales and West, the percentage of Volvos on the fleet has gone from zero to almost half inside just two years.
The latest addition for Simec Transport is a new Volvo FH 500 6×2 tractor unit with a Globetrotter XL cab and it joins eight other Volvos in the 20-strong fleet.
The Volvo FH500 Specification
Supplied by Darren Padfield, Area Sales Manager at Truck and Bus Wales and West, the new FH is built on a 3,900mm wheelbase and powered by Volvo’s D13K Euro-6, Step D, diesel engine producing up to 500 hp and 2,600 Nm of torque, powering Volvo’s 12-speed I-Shift automated gearbox.
The new Volvo FH sports the blue and white livery of Liberty Steel Group, Simec Transport’s sister company. Both businesses are part of the global corporation – the GFG Alliance.
This latest FH will be in operation five days a week and is expected to clock up between 110,000 – 120,000km per year. It’s been supplied on a contract hire deal with Volvo Financial Services and is protected with a Volvo Gold Contract repair & maintenance agreement.
Why Buy Volvo Trucks
Jon Sutton, Transport Manager Wales, at Simec Transport, says: “We’ve gone from no Volvos to nine in two years. Since I first got in touch with Darren, the customer service we have received has been outstanding. If I ask him for a truck, I can give him the date I need it on the road, and it will be there. The trucks have all performed really well, and they’ve gone down great with the drivers.
“The fuel figures we’re getting from the Volvos are also fantastic. We are a steel haulier, so the trucks are always transporting very heavy loads, close to our maximum running weight, and we are getting between 9-10mpg which is very, very good.”
“We needed more trucks due to the growing demand from the steelworks,” explains Sutton. “Despite the issues with COVID-19, business has been booming and as their haulier we needed to grow the fleet to keep up. We’ve increasingly moved towards Volvo as we’re very happy with the full package they provide.”
“The drivers all love them,” adds Sutton. “We really can’t fault any of the Volvo trucks we have, so that’s why we’ve just kept on going back to them again and again.”
