When national recycling and renewable energy specialist Viridor Waste Management looked to procure commercial vehicles, the company considered carefully before making a decision. The policy meant that when Chris Hanson-Jones, Logistics Unit Manager at Viridor Trafford Park, took delivery of nine new Volvo trucks to supplement the six he already has in his fleet, he was certain they were exactly the right tools for the job.
“After a lengthy national procurement exercise by Viridor, we chose a mixture of Volvo FMX and FE skip loaders and rollonoffs, plus one Volvo FM front end loader,” Chris reports. The new group of rigids was supplied by Stephen Cruikshank, Key Account Manager at Thomas Hardie Commercials Ltd.
Several manufacturers were considered, but Volvo won through, in good part thanks to driver input and the excellent service the company have always received from supplying local dealership Thomas Hardie Commercials Ltd, which also provides full repair and maintenance for the Trafford Park fleet. “It comes down to suitability of the vehicle for the job, which comes ahead of cost,” Chris says. “The Volvo product is reliable and operates particularly well on landfills.”
One of the major aims of the current fleet replacement project is to improve driver safety. “If you are a Viridor Trafford Park driver and you’re driving a skip vehicle it will now always be a Volvo chassis cab with a Boughton Engineering skip loader on the back,” Chris explains, “so you’ll always be familiar with the vehicle and controls.”
This should also eliminate one basic cause of driver injuries; missing their footing when entering vehicles, because the steps are in a different place to their usual truck. “It sounds silly but that’s actually a big cause of accidents”Chris says adding, “especially now drivers are increasing their efficiency and moving from truck to truck throughout the day.”
The other big attraction of Volvo for Viridor is its green credentials, now better than ever thanks to the D8K and D11K Euro 6 engines and I-Shift transmission.
“We deal with big brands like Manchester United and Media City, so ecological concerns are a big part of the tender process we do with them,”Chris says. “The arrival of these new Volvo trucks is a commitment to the customer that we’re committed to the environment ourselves.”