Birmingham, UK: Food wholesaler T Quality has taken delivery of the first of 26 new rigids on a seven-year contract from Fraikin. All the trucks have a bespoke-built split-load body design that the two companies developed together in 2021. The split-load body has now been rolled out to the twenty two 15-tonner and four 18-tonners set to replace a mixture of Fraikin and competitor-supplied trucks in T Quality’s 135 vehicle fleet.
Ninel Diaconu, national fleet manager, T Quality, says: “We have been working with Fraikin for more than two decades, so when we approached them in 2021 to help with the development of the body on 10 new trucks they were supplying, we were confident they would deliver – and the resulting design didn’t disappoint.
“Since then, the versatility of the new split-load has made our drivers’ lives much easier, helping to speed up customer deliveries, improve safety and ultimately reduce maintenance downtime. It was a no-brainer to bring more onto the fleet.” The vehicles have a refrigerated compartment at the front of the truck with an ambient compartment at the rear. This ensures the temperature-controlled unit mounted above the cab is provided direct access to the freezer, removing the need for extensive internal piping, thereby reducing maintenance time and costs. Specially designed load restraints, steps and flooring have also been fitted to give access from both storage sections from either side of the vehicle.
Mark Bunker, business development manager, Fraikin, says: “T Quality’s decision to once again turn to Fraikin for this latest order is a testament to our strong understanding of its business needs, as well as our unrivalled ability to deliver complex and specialist vehicles.”
The rigids are expected to clock 40,000 miles a year on deliveries from T Quality’s sites in Birmingham, Darlington, Newton Abbot, Staplehurst and Swindon. The first of the trucks are already in operation with all 26 expected by the end of the year.
