Food supplier apetito has purchased Volvo trucks for the first time, taking on six new FH tractor units for its main distribution centre in Portbury, Bristol.
Trowbridge-based apetito, which supplies food to the health and social care sector, chose Volvo after extensive research, including a three-week loan of an FH-500 for fuel benchmarking, according to Jon Jackson, Training, Safety and Logistics Manager at apetito.
Supplied by Wayne Bryant, Transport Solutions Executive at Volvo Truck and Bus Wales and West, the 6×2 fixed pusher axle, medium height tractors units are equipped with front steel, rear air suspension systems. Powered by Volvo D13K Euro-6 engine producing a maximum of 500hp, the 3,900mm wheelbase units also feature 12-speed I-Shift automated transmission systems and Globetrotter XL Cabs.
The cabs have been kitted out with leather trim, electrically-controlled air conditioning systems and height-adjustable, foldable top bunks.
All apetito vehicles operate out of Bristol, but they will go as far as Motherwell and will clock up 200,000km a year. As such, the company requires reliability from its trucks in order to ensure a constant supply of meals to hospitals, care homes and community services across the UK.
The six FHs were also supplied with three-year Volvo Gold Service Contracts, which guarantee 100% uptime. “The Gold Service Contracts give us peace of mind,” Jackson says. “We supply food to some of the most vulnerable people in society; therefore the uptime promise gives us and our customers’ security with supply chains.”
