Truck

Volvo winter trucks worth their salt for South West England council

05 May 2022 #Truck

South Gloucestershire Council is preparing for the colder months ahead with nine new Volvo FMXs gritting trucks and snow ploughs.

The seven FMX 330 6×4 units and two FMX 330 4×4 rigids, join the local authority’s fleet of 45 HGVs, feature 10.8 litre Euro VI diesel engines and a range of technology that will make the county’s roads safer.

The larger 6x4s are built on a 4300mm wheelbase, while the two all-wheel drive 4x4s are built on a shorter 3900mm wheelbase – ideal for working on icy surfaces and steep hills, often between rows of parked cars.

All the trucks are fitted with Econ Engineering salt spreading bodywork and a snow plough, and are driven through Volvo’s Powertronic six-speed fully-automatic planetary gearbox with integral retarder.

On-board safety features include Forward Collision Warning with emergency braking and Lane Keeping Support, which uses a camera positioned in the upper centre of the windscreen to alert the driver with a signal from the speakers during unintentional lane departure.

The seven FMX 26-tonne 6×4 rigids and the two smaller 18-tonners have also been equipped with a passenger corner camera, which detects nearby pedestrians and cyclists.

The trucks, purchased outright from supplier Truck and Bus Wales and West, add to the council’s 15 existing vehicles manufactured by Volvo Trucks.

Ron Dovey, Fleet Operations Manager at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “Reliability and prompt back-up from the local dealer are essential for us, as we need to feel assured that our operations are relatively unaffected during any necessary maintenance and downtime, particularly in the colder months.”

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