News and Events

Date of Story 17/08/2010

MC’s reputation for customer service has won them an order for two FH-500 6x4 tractors from Sunseeker International in Poole

Our readers should watch out for feature articles in the current issues of 'Trucking' magazine and 'Inside Lane' to read about how MC Truck and Bus customer Sunseeker International is using two FH-500 6x4 tractor units to move multi-million pound megayachts from their factories in Poole, Dorset, to the London Boat Show and ports around the UK for onward shipment to customers all over the world.

In addition, they are also used to move equipment and materials between Sunseeker’s eight manufacturing sites in the Poole area.

MC are praised by Sunseeker International’s Transport and Export Manager Mark Garside for their reliable back up and good all round service. Here is an extract from what he had to say in the articles: “We need reliability as a first priority and speed of service response is as important. Volvo’s Southampton and Blandford locations suit us perfectly. Blandford is only 12 miles away and the service level is well up to what we’re looking for.”

Mark Garside also points out that abnormal loads, the Sunseeker megayachts are up to 48 metres long, demand abnormal service levels and a swift response to a Volvo Action Service call is essential. However, Mark says that he is confident in the back-up he receives from MC and so far the Volvos have just kept rolling. The trucks, which were supplied via MC’s Southampton Dealerpoint, are on Contract Hire for six years with the option to renegotiate mid way through when the mileage can be assessed.

In both articles, Mark Garside is clear on the reasons he chose the Volvo FH above other makes: “We need the prestige of the Sunseeker brand to be reflected in everything we do and there’s little more on public display than our transport choice. People see the boat on the move and it’s an arresting sight for sure, but the truck has to look the part as well. We have run Scanias in the past but they have simply become just too expensive.” 

Mark says that he also consulted his drivers on the choice of truck and on the spec. They looked at Volvo, MAN, Daf and Renault, but the joint decision went to Volvo and the pair of FH13-500 6x4s started work in January and February this year. Mark explains: “Even though we don’t do high mileage - between 50,000k and 60,000k a year - driver comfort is important to us and the Volvo scores highly.”

To look after the drivers, the FH-500 spec includes Volvo’s Driver Plus package with a single bunk. Such luxuries as climate control, leather upholstery, central locking and eye-level info display all help to make the drivers environment a relaxing one. Technical spec includes 6x4 chassis with 23 tonne single reduction rear end, 3.2m wheelbase, rear air suspension and the 12 speed I-Shift gearbox which has gone down well with both the artic drivers.

Keith Webb, truck salesman from MC Truck & Bus in Southampton said, “The drivers were given a pretty free hand with these trucks and they certainly look the part. I’m delighted to see an FH in the Sunseeker International livery. These units will be supported and maintained at Blandford. I know that other makes they looked at are based in Poole, but our product and service won the day.”

Date of Story 08/07/10

Family firm challenges building giants for Recycling Award

T W Services has been shortlisted for Construction Recycler of the Year in the National Recycling Awards, going head to head with some of Britain's biggest names in construction.

The company's exceptional 95% recycling rate propelled the construction waste specialist to the shortlist putting it alongside large, well-known companies: BAM Nuttall, Bovis Lend Lease, Clancy Docwra, and Skanska.

Spencer Ray, director of T W Services says: "T W Services' nomination is a real vindication of our family firm's high standards. We are recycling more than 95% of the 400,000 tonnes of construction waste we can handle – and that 95% is a no-quibble, audited figure."

The Kent-based company has an extensive Volvo Skip and Rollonoff hire fleet and operates an additional large tipper fleet providing commercial clients with the capacity to handle the largest muckaway contracts.

Date of Story 11/06/2010

PHS Waste Happy to Contract MC Group

“We are a national waste management company,

operating throughout England from over 40 depots.

As such, we have a fleet of around 330 vehicles, from small vans up to 44-tonne articulated lorries, that are always on the move.

We need a reliable fleet to ensure efficiency and value for money and so regularly replace vehicles on a continual basis.

Last year we needed to purchase 15 new 26-tonne

refuse collection vehicles and invited MC Group to quote for the work due to their solid reputation.

The price they quoted was extremely competitive

compared with the rest of the market and so we were happy to award the contract to them. Since then, throughout all our dealings with Dave Hutchins and his team we have been very impressed with the service, from the point of order through to delivery.

The Volvo vehicles themselves have been of the highest standard – so much so that we have recently placed another order with MC Group for another 12 vehicles.

David Hobbs – Transport Manager PHS Wastetech

Date of Story 28/04/2010

Day Aggregates are proud to announce the delivery of their latest Volvo

“Throughout our business we operate over 50 Volvo trucks at all weight ranges. The service and support from the MC Group is unrivalled by other manufacturers and they are able to adapt to our everchanging requirements with ease often providing vehicles at short notice”

Chris Cooling, Transport Operations Manager, Day Group

Date of Story 24/02/10

ON THE (MINI) BUSES’ WITH PICKRELL’S NEW VOLVO FE

HW Pickrell, of Billericay in Essex, has replaced their 1987 Volvo truck with a new model. The E-reg FL6 has finally retired from the wheelchair-accessible vehicle supplier’s service to make way for an FE-280 rigid, which will be used to deliver minibuses and ambulances nationwide.

The new Volvo FE is equipped with a 9-speed manual transmission and Volvo's 2-metre long medium cab option. Like its predecessor, it is built to a 4x2 wheel plan and features Bell Recovery Systems vehicle transporter bodywork, which, with integral wheel chains and both ramps and front wheel lifts, can transport two 28-seat minibuses simultaneously.

"The FL6 had done well over half a million miles," says Chris Jeakins, a Director of HW Pickrell. "It did have a new engine, but the reliability was excellent. The FL6 gave us such good service that Volvo was the natural choice when we decided we needed a new vehicle. For a fairly small family firm, the new FE is a big investment but it's a sound one - especially if this one lasts us twenty years, too! Besides, we work hard - if we can't treat ourselves, what's the point?"

For Chris, the FE is indeed a treat. "There's simply no comparison with the old truck," he states. "It's like getting out of a Mini into a Rolls-Royce!"

Supplying Dealer MC Truck and Bus at Thurrock will take over the maintenance. As Chris explains, "In the past, we've always done our own repairs and maintenance, but changes in technology mean we'd rather leave it to the Volvo Dealer. We've always used MC for Genuine Volvo Parts and we're confident they'll keep giving us superb support."

MC's West Thurrock workshops may even find themselves dealing with the old FL6, too. "There was enough life left in it that we've sold it to another operator," says Chris. "It's not ready for the Great Scrapyard in the sky just yet!"

Date of Story 18/01/10

Once again, the strength of the customer service from Isuzu Truck UK & MC Truck & Bus was a major selling point for Associated London Distribution Limited

Date of Story 19/11/09

NORTHCHAPEL’S NEW VOLVO FH 440 – “BUILT TO DO ANYTHING!”

Reliability and versatility were the two key factors in Northchapel Transport’s choice of Volvo for their fifth new vehicle since the company’s foundation in 1997. The FH-440 8x2 rigid, plated for operation at 32 tonnes GVW, is designed for optimum flexibility in terms of load, while support will come from long-standing partners M.C. Truck & Bus Ltd., who also supplied the vehicle to the West Sussex plant and general transport operator.

"Why Volvo?" says owner Shane Lucking, "Because they're extremely reliable and they do everything we ask of them, since we can get them built to our exact specification. We need our vehicles to be able to handle anything from a mini-digger to a 26-tonne crane to a multi-modal container; our contacts at MC Truck and Bus know our business as well as their own, and are able to give excellent advice through the whole the spec and order process. Volvos are comfortable, too - this FH is very much a driver's truck, pleasant to work in with plenty of cab space."

As well as the spacious Globetrotter cab, Northchapel's drivers enjoy Volvo's I-Shift fully-automated transmission, while the 440hp D13C engine is fully Euro-5 compliant. Externally, the truck features factory paintwork and a versatile Andover body. A front-mounted Palfinger PK36 crane dominates the deck, which is also equipped with a fold-over beavertail and chain lockers for plant work, as well as twistlocks for securing shipping containers. As Shane says, "It's built to do anything!"

Shane plans to run the FH-440 for five to six years "depending on the state of the economy at the time", during which period M.C. Truck & Bus Ltd. will handle repair and maintenance from their Burgess Hill facility. Initially, this will be under a 4-year contract, but Shane plane to extend this on a rolling basis to cover the truck's entire working life.

01/09/2009

Pass Masters

As a network, we’ve every right to be proud of our performance on first-time MOT passes; that is, passing the initial MOT test with no subsequent successful re-test.
Our figure of 91% compares very well with the UK national average pass rate of just 73.9% for the same period…so it takes a pretty special performance to stand out even from that high score.
Step forward Alberto Longalong and Samuel Malsan from MC Truck and Bus Ltd’s Thurrock workshop, who arrived from the Philippines in 2005. Between the two of them, they’ve prepared and completed 100 MOT inspections this year with a remarkable 100% first-time pass rate.

“They’ve worked very hard and they’re good service Technicians,” says Thurrock’s General Manager, Steve Coveney. “Their attitude and work ethic is great – they’ll do anything you give them – and they’re very efficient, too. What counts on these MOT passes, though, is their attention to detail, which is very, very good indeed!”

Coming up behind them is another generation of Technicians that looks equally promising. Steve has at least three in the workshop with 100% records who have only just completed their apprenticeships – and one who’s still in his third year!

With talent like that, the future looks more than passable for Thurrock, MC Truck and Bus and indeed, the whole network!

29/01/2009

VOLVO CONTINUES PINDEN LTD FLEET REPLACEMENT WITH FH’S AND FL’S

Kent-based waste management and recycling operator Pinden Limited has taken delivery of four new Volvo trucks: two FH-480 tractor units and two FL-280 skiploaders. These vehicles are the latest elements of a fleet replacement programme that saw 26 trucks delivered during 2008 and resulted in an almost 100% Volvo fleet inside three years.

“We’re running around 40 Volvo’s now,” says Paul Elcombe, Transport Manager for the Dartford-based company. “Volvo offered the best package; it’s a name we feel happy with, and we get strong local support with good facilities from MC Truck & Bus.”

Reliability is a particularly welcome Volvo trait, according to Paul; “Yes, other trucks drive reliably, but Volvo is another thing. They’re more solid, more dependable – looking at my monitor now, I can see there’s not a single truck in the workshop. And that reduced downtime means, in turn, that we can offer a more efficient and reliable service to our customers.”

The FH 480’s, plated for operation at 44 tonnes, are 6x4’s with I-Shift transmission and Globetrotter cabs in ‘Comfort’ trim. Their main duties will involve hauling a wide range of waste from demolition sites

to Pinden Limited’s processing facility – one of the largest in the South East of England.

The FL-280 4x2 skiploaders, meanwhile, have day cabs, manual gearboxes and Reynolds Boughton MacLift loading gear. They are plated for operation at 18 tonnes and will join the company’s extensive skip operation which serves trade and domestic customers across the region.

While Pinden Limited has full in-house workshop facilities, the new trucks will initially be maintained by MC Truck and bus at their Maidstone depot, under a two-year R&M contract.

Midland Chilled Foods have taken delivery of three new Volvo FE 320 26 tonne multi-temp trucks from MC Group, the first of a new fleet that will enable them to deliver frozen foods at -18°C and chilled and ambient foods at 0°C to +5°C on the same truck.

Between Midland Chilled Foods transport team, Coolfreeze Manchester and MC Group Ltd we have designed trucks using the latest technology to allow Midland Chilled Foods to offer a one stop shop solution for thier customer base.

18/12/2008

LOW RIDE, HIGH QUALITY WITH LASER INTERNATIONAL

Global logistics provider Laser international is the recipient of the first new-shape Volvo FH’s from MC Truck and Bus. The FH 480, 4x2 X-Low height tractor unit will haul urgent components for BMW cars between Germany and the UK and was chosen on the basis of quality – that of both the vehicle and the support available. It forms part of a fleet replacement order totalling 24 Volvo’s for the company, which is based in Hythe, Kent.

“We’ve been running Volvo’s for about 10 years now,” says one of the company’s Directors, Nick Charlesworth. “We’ve always found them to be a quality product and the local back-up from our neighbours at Volvo Dealership, MC Truck and Bus is outstanding.”

The trucks have a Globetrotter XL cab equipped with two-person living pack, essential for its doublemanned, overnight runs to and from BMW’s plants in Southern Germany to their distribution centre inBracknell. “BMW provide the highest level of service to their dealers,” says Nick. “That means a demanding schedule for urgent parts and a top-quality fleet is obviously essential in meeting that schedule.” The Euro 5 SCR engine technology also brings advantages in Germany, offering a 15% saving on MAUT road toll fees over a comparable Euro 4 vehicle.

The move to an X-Low chassis – with a nominal ride height of 810mm – was brought about by a change in trailers. “Our contract with BMW now requires us to use mega-trailers,” explains Nick, “and that, of course, means low truck chassis. It’s simply because a 3-metre high mega-trailer will allow us to double or even triple stack parts cages; volumetric capacity is very important on these urgent parts runs.”

Repair and maintenance will be on a two-year R&M contract with MC Truck and Bus at Hythe; this will also be the case with the other 23 new Volvo’s, which comprise a mix of FL’s, FE’s, FM’s and FH’s.