Bicester, Oxfordshire, UK: Fresh Direct has bought a second batch of Isuzu 7.5-tonners with another 39 N75.190 Isuzu Forward refrigerated rigids joining the 200 vehicle fleet in the UK.
Within the vehicle order mix, 25 of the Isuzu rigids replace existing Isuzu vehicles – Fresh Direct bought 20 Isuzu 7.5t rigids in 2009 – and 14 extend the current fleet, reflecting Fresh Direct’s growth and its policy to specify the Isuzu marque at 7.5 tonnes.
Fresh Direct takes 39 more Isuzu 7.5-tonners for temperature-controlled operations
Nick Allen, head of business improvement, Fresh Direct (UK) says: “Since the original Isuzu order in 2009, we have now built up three years of meaningful operating data on the performance of the Isuzu Forward vehicles.
“We have found them to be robust and reliable vehicles in operation, with excellent fuel consumption. However, it is the impressive payload capacity of approximately 3 tonnes that we get from the Isuzus that is critical to the success of the intensive multi-drop operation in which they operate,” he says.
All 39 vehicles in this order are Isuzu N75.190 4×2 rigids with Easyshift transmission, and single compartment RVL refrigerated body using Carrier Transicold Xarios refrigeration systems. Each carries up to an eight-pallets.
The vehicles are on a three-year contract covering approximately 45,000kms per vehicle per annum, with each vehicle handling between 15 and 18 drops on their daily delivery cycle. The vehicles are based at the various Fresh Direct depots in Bicester, London, Cambridge, Wigan and Scotland.
Also for this new order, each vehicle features the newly designed Fresh Direct livery. The first 2 vehicles from the 39-strong order were on the Isuzu Truck and RVL respective stands at the CV Show, NEC Birmingham earlier this year.
“The temperature-controlled distribution sector has seen Isuzu Truck achieve a significant level of success in recent times, where the product benefits of payload, fuel consumption, reliability and performance are key to the success of any company operating in this challenging marketplace,” said Keith Child, marketing director, Isuzu Truck.
“Over the past 3 years, the first 20 Isuzu vehicles have worked on an intensive delivery operation for Fresh Direct. The fact that the company has added more of our vehicles to their fleet is a measure of the successful performance of the original 20 vehicles, our Customer Care programme and our service.”
