These vehicles are the latest elements of a fleet replacement programme that saw 26 trucks delivered during 2008 and resulted in an almost 100% Volvo fleet inside three years.
“We’re running around 40 Volvo’s now,” says Paul Elcombe, Transport Manager for the Dartford-based company. “Volvo offered the best package; it’s a name we feel happy with, and we get strong local support with good facilities from MC Truck & Bus.”
Reliability is a particularly welcome Volvo trait, according to Paul; “Yes, other trucks drive reliably, but Volvo is another thing. They’re more solid, more dependable – looking at my monitor now, I can see there’s not a single truck in the workshop. And that reduced downtime means, in turn, that we can offer a more efficient and reliable service to our customers.”
The FH 480’s, plated for operation at 44 tonnes, are 6x4’s with I-Shift transmission and Globetrotter cabs in ‘Comfort’ trim. Their main duties will involve hauling a wide range of waste from demolition sites
to Pinden Limited’s processing facility – one of the largest in the South East of England.
The FL-280 4x2 skiploaders, meanwhile, have day cabs, manual gearboxes and Reynolds Boughton MacLift loading gear. They are plated for operation at 18 tonnes and will join the company’s extensive skip operation which serves trade and domestic customers across the region.
While Pinden Limited has full in-house workshop facilities, the new trucks will initially be maintained by MC Truck and bus at their Maidstone depot, under a two-year R&M contract.