Twenty new Volvo tippers for A&F Haulage

Bolton-based haulage firm renews and grows fleet with new Volvo FM and FMX 8x4 tippers

A&F Haulage of Bolton have taken delivery of 14 new FM and six FMX 8x4 tippers from Manchester-based Thomas Hardie Commercials, increasing the company’s fleet size to more than 85 trucks.

Managing director Ali Majeed said: ‘Volvo represent good, strong and reliable trucks, and with the B-Ride high-suspension option offering excellent chassis ground clearance on both the FMX and the FM, these new trucks are ideally suited to the type of construction work with which we’re involved.’

All 20 of the new trucks are powered by 11-litre Volvo D11K engines producing 410hp and up to 1,950Nm of torque. The vehicle’s I-Shift automated gearboxes are equipped with software to enhance off-road and construction capabilities.

The new FMX eight-wheelers, which are fitted with day cabs, feature Bulkrite insulated bodies with Edbro tipping gear and Easysheet systems, while the 14 new sleeper-cabbed FMs are fitted with Wilcox Wilcolite bodies, Edbro tipping gear and Easysheets.

‘Our drivers are really happy with the new Volvo trucks,’ said Mr Majeed. ‘They have already commented on the enhanced comfort of the interiors, and specifically in relation to the latest FMX trucks, they say the steering is now lighter and an improvement on earlier versions.’

Approximately 75% of business at A&F Haulage is the transportation of asphalt with the remainder being aggregate. ‘Last year we delivered some 4.1 million tonnes of asphalt for our three main customers,’ said Mr Majeed.

‘The majority of our fleet comprises Volvo FM trucks, although with this latest delivery we now have 10 FMX models too. The support we receive from the Volvo dealer Thomas Hardie is nothing short of great,’ he added.

The support, this time around, included the fitment of a five-way recording camera system covering front, rear, left and right, as well as one camera dedicated to an overview of the body.

‘I am a firm believer that to grow you need to invest properly in your business,’ concluded Mr Majeed. ‘Our ongoing investment in Volvo trucks has helped us to grow year on year, and now that we have invested in a new four-acre site in the Bolton area and an additional one-acre site in Deeside, to complement our three existing sites and depots, I am confident that we’ll soon be ordering even more Volvo FM and FMX trucks from Thomas Hardie, to meet demand.’