The first Volvo FH Aero in Wales has gone into service with Pontypool-based JP Bull Transport.
The haulier’s Aero 500 6×2 tractor unit will carry out general haulage duties, including deliveries for one major supermarket chain, and join the firm’s fleet of 24 trucks – 22 of them Volvo.
Supplied by Truck and Bus Wales and West, JP Bull Transport’s new truck is powered by a Euro 6-compliant D13TC Step E engine, producing 500 hp and a peak torque of 2,800 Nm.
This is paired with a 12-speed I-Shift automated gearbox and I-See predictive cruise control.
The new aerodynamic design of the Aero – with a cab that is 24 centimetres longer than that of the standard Volvo FH – is complemented with new technologies that lead to energy consumption and emissions reductions of up to five per cent.
Volvo’s Camera Monitoring System (CMS) replaces traditional exterior mirrors, which increases the driver’s field of view and, when driving with a trailer, CMS deploys auto-panning functionality to follow the rear of the trailer as it turns.
It will make collections from customer depots across South Wales and the south-west of England, running deliveries across the UK, and is expected to travel up to 180,000 km per year.
Jonathan Bull, Director at JP Bull Transport, said: “We are really excited to see how all the technology on this new model performs.
“The key is for our drivers to really understand and maximise that technology, to unlock those fuel efficiency benefits. We are expecting good things.”
