The Ferns Group has taken delivery of four new Iveco Daily 3.5T dropsides (35C14) that have joined its nationwide fleet of over 500 commercial vehicles.
A new contract with BT Openreach generated the requirement for four new vehicles capable of carrying equipment, piping, and other tools necessary for rigorous 10–12-hour installations of new telecoms infrastructure. And the Iveco Daily was found to be the best product for the mission at hand.
Ferns Group provides extensive aggregate, surfacing, recycling, and utility services all over the UK with these vehicles being used to service contracts in Kent and throughout East Anglia.
The quartet of twin rear wheel Iveco Dailys house a Brit Tipp double-skinned aluminium dropside body, while an impressive 3.5-tonne towing capacity enables the Ferns Group to tow its desilting jetter machine trailers at the same time as carrying up to 1.2 tonnes of aggregate and equipment on the load bed.
The Daily dropside and trailer’s footprint is proving much smaller than a 7.5-tonne truck when working in urban areas whilst still enabling Ferns to accommodate payloads normally associated with a larger vehicle.
The 140hp 2.3-litre diesel engine, with maximum torque of 370Nm, is mated to Iveco’s new six-speed manual transmission that boasts 50% less play than its predecessor to deliver more precise shifts. A big advantage of this powertrain combination is 18% greater clutch durability and lengthy 217,000-mile gearbox oil service intervals.
James Gupwell, Ferns Group Transport Director, said: “We needed a vehicle that was rear-wheel drive and could tow a trailer and that was durable enough to work in challenging environments on and off-road. It needed to be something sturdy and capable of dealing with a fair amount of punishment and the Daily has proven a perfect partner.”
Ferns Group opted for the Business trimline to keep its drivers as comfortable as possible over their annual 40,000 miles, which includes manual air conditioning, cruise control with speed limited function, front fog lights, and heated door mirrors.
Another key item that boosts driver comfort is the Iveco Daily’s Hi-Adaptive seats. The Daily is the first LCV on the market to feature a seat cushion, backrest, and headrest in memory foam with the overall seat design contributing to a 30% reduction in pressure peaks whilst on the road.
The Ivecos represent Ferns Group’s first to join the fleet and were expertly facilitated by Kent Iveco dealer Haynes Trucks. James commented: “We enjoy trading with local businesses whenever we can. The trust we have in Haynes has made the onboarding process very simple, they also installed light beacons and towbars which has saved us a chunk of time.”
Mike Cutts, Iveco’s Light Business Line Director said: “We are delighted to see the Daily dropsides mark the first Ivecos to join the Ferns fleet and look forward to them playing a major part in servicing new contracts. Their versatility and functionality are sure to prove an asset”
The Iveco 3.5 tonne Daily can be ordered as a panel van or chassis cab with a wide range of diesel and CNG drivetrain options, chassis lengths, and either a manual or HI-MATIC automatic transmission.
