Sandilands, Scotland, UK: Temperature-controlled operator JHP Transport has added its first Renault tractor, a T520 High 6×2, to its 37-vehicle fleet.
Whole-life costs including a repair and maintenance contract, fuel efficiency, driver comfort and overall performance drove the decision to try the Renault, the company says.
John Campbell-Middleton, transport operations manager said: “We have been working non-stop during the pandemic and business is still picking up.
“We are moving time-critical refrigerated food and we need trucks that are robust, reliable and good on fuel together with a comprehensive back-up service.
“We’ve had demonstrators before and on the basis of a successful trial and a competitive all-round deal on the table we decided to order our first Renault truck,” Campbell-Middleton said.
The Renault is being used on trunking so fuel efficiency is critical. “The fuel figures on the demo we had were promising. It was getting 9mpg but that’s on a new engine so we’re expecting an improvement on those figures as the engine beds in. We’ve also included some additional extras, including the Fuel Eco+ Pack to optimise fuel consumption,” Campbell-Middleton said.
“The drivers are out on the road all week so keeping them comfortable and happy is key to them performing well. The internal specification is good and they like the all-round layout of the dash. We asked the team at Renault Trucks Scotland if they could supply an additional USB charging switch,” he said.
The T520 High has an Optidriver AT 2612F gearbox with automatic clutch and 12 forward and 2 reverse gears with maximum torque of 2550Nm. It has also been specified with Alcoa Dura-Bright aluminium wheels, cab paint colour-matched components, roof mounted twin air horns, laminated side windows, fixed roof deflector, side deflectors, 40L fridge, microwave as well as a 5-year subscription to Renault Trucks’ predictive cruise control system, Optivision.
“After running a competitor manufacturer’s vehicles for many years we decided to try something new. The sales and customer service at Renault Trucks Scotland [which supplied the vehicle] has been great so far, they even sourced a replacement truck for us at short notice, nothing was too much trouble. Based on the performance to date we’ve just placed an order for an additional vehicle, a Renault Trucks T480, and we look forward to working with the Renault Trucks Scotland team in the future,” Campbell-Middleton said. “
