DS Smith Logistics has taken delivery of 61 new Volvo FM 460 Globetrotter 6×2 tractor units as part of a major fleet renewal programme.
The new trucks – that arrive via a long-term contract-hire agreement from TIP Group – replace vehicles from a rival manufacturer in the paper, packaging and recycling business’ busy operation.
The new FMs, paired with curtainsider trailers also from TIP, will be used to take paper reels from DS Smith’s Kemsley Paper Mill to customers across the UK. The trucks then bring bailed fibre into the mill, which is recycled back into paper reels.
It is a 24/7 operation which will see the FMs double-shifted and clock-up in the region of 130,000 miles every year.
Each new tractor unit is powered by a D13k Step E engine, producing 460 hp and a maximum torque figure of 2300 Nm.
These are paired with Volvo’s 12-speed I-Shift automated gearbox technology and I-See predictive cruise control.
To boost safety, the trucks are supplied with multiple cameras, plus an added lower window in the passenger door to help meet the 3-star Direct Vision Standard (DVS) rating for working in central London.
Volvo Trucks secured the order on the back of the strong performance of a demonstrator vehicle.
India Wacher, Fleet Compliance Manager at DS Smith Logistics, said: “This is a major order for our business, replacing the entirety of our 61-strong truck fleet.
“Our deliveries do take us into Transport for London’s controlled zones, and we need these trucks to be as safe for all road users as possible.”
