Plant & Site Provider Garic Expands Volvo-Dominant Truck Fleet With New Volvo FH & FM Additions
Four new Volvo FH 8x2 rear-steer rigids and one Volvo FM Globetrotter 6x2 rigid are now part of the 30-vehicle fleet owned and operated by Garic, a national plant and site equipment provider more than 30 years’ experience and headquarters in Pilsworth, Lancashire. With the additions, roughly 85% of Garic’s fleet is now Volvo-made, a percentage that will soon increase as Garic plans to add several more Volvo FMs later this year.
“The competitor marques we considered before committing to Volvo didn’t meet the efficiency levels our business demands, nor the standard of in-cab comfort we like to ensure our drivers can enjoy on the road,” says Garic Fleet Maintenance Manager Barrie Ashcroft.
Smooth Shifting
In addition to the construction sector, Garic serves the commercial property, industrial, rail, highway, waste and water, and other building and maintenance markets. The company’s hire products include self-contained welfare units, fuel and water tanks, tower lights, power generators, and more.
Garic will use its newly acquired Volvo FHs to transport plant and machinery across the UK, and the new Volvo FMs to support its on-site welfare cabins by removing waste water and refilling fresh water and red diesel tanks. Volvo dealership Thomas Hardie Commercials supplied the trucks, all of which are spec’d with Volvo’s 12-speed I-Shift automated transmission that uses engine-related data and such factors as weight, speed, torque demand, and road grade to select the optimal gear.
Great Feedback
Garic had a Fassi 710 crane and flatbed body mounted to each FH as supplied and fitted by The Crane Centre in Sandbach. Each FH has a Volvo D13K engine that generates 460 horsepower (343 kilowatts) and 2,300 newton-metres (1,696 pounds-foot) of torque. The FMs will each feature a factory-fitted lowered passenger door that provides operators with enhanced visibility as well as tailor-made bodywork from Fuller Tankers. Garic Transport Manager Mark Booth says company drivers have been impressed with the performance of the Volvo trucks so far, and the trucks fit right in with the firm’s sustainability efforts.
“These new vehicles are replacing some older competitor models, and the feedback we’ve had from our drivers has been great so far,” Booth says. “They are particularly happy with the amount of space inside the sleeper cab on the FHs, and the lower fuel consumption of the trucks ties in well with our sustainability plans and route to carbon zero—something that’s really important to our business right now.”
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Source: Volvo