New Volvo FM truck for Wordsworth Excavations

Barnsley-based firm invests in FM 6x2 fuel tanker as part of business expansion

WORDSWORTH Excavations have taken delivery of a new Volvo FM 6x2 rear-steer fuel tanker to support both their on- and off-highway vehicle fleets, as the company expands its operations collecting waste and spoil from excavation and demolition sites, as well as delivering aggregates to customers.

Supplied by regional Volvo dealers Crossroads Truck and Bus, the tanker truck replaces a similar 2012 model that has been retained as a back-up vehicle.

Thomas Wordsworth, managing director of Wordsworth Excavations, said: ‘Operating our own fuel tanker gives us a reliability of service to our work sites and our trucks out in the field. The 18,000-litre capacity tanker body by RTN of Barnsley, who also fitted the pumping equipment and meter, is split into four compartments so we can carry both derv and gas oil, thus keeping us fully in control of both our on-highway and plant fleets.’

Equipped with a Day cab, the new 26-tonne gvw, 420hp fuel tanker has made an instant impression among the company’s operators. Mr Wordsworth added: ‘Attributes of the Volvo FM 6x2 rear-steer that have really won us over are the overall driver comfort, the truck’s power and the smooth delivery of that power through the I-Shift transmission.

‘Because we’re fuelling our trucks and equipment all over the country, we needed a reliable and robust tanker truck that performs well and can take approximately 90,000km per annum in its stride. The Volvo FM meets all our expectations as well as promising strong residual value when we come to replace it and great fuel efficiency in the meantime.

‘Furthermore, the back-up support that we receive from Crossroads Truck and Bus continues to be first rate, to the extent we’ve opted for a five-year Gold repair and maintenance contract with them.’

Wordsworth Excavations have also placed an order for six new Volvo FM 8x4 tipper trucks with Thompson bodies. The tippers will be equipped with Day cabs and Volvo’s D13K engines (420hp), producing up to 2,100Nm of torque and benefitting from a 12-speed I-Shift automated transmission.

‘With both the fuel tanker and the tippers, the decision to choose Volvo was not a difficult one’, explained Mr Wordsworth. ‘Alongside the reliability, fuel efficiency, local dealer support and robust build, I think the current generation Volvo trucks are a success in the aesthetics department too. Put simply, I like the look of them and that’s a bonus.’