CEMEX UK’s Ready-Mix business has just agreed a 2 year supply deal with Volvo Truck and Bus UK. This partnership working was agreed after a lengthy tender process with the aid of Trevor Wilkins from procurement. All manufacturers were asked to submit a tender with safety standards a key metric along with vehicle travelling height and weight.

Once a price had been agreed it was time to get to the nitty gritty and get the spec right for both the IHC community members and UK business, both Charlie Stanford and Chris Rose wanted to be able to provide a vehicle that offered the comforts and needs of a driver without busting the bank.

After many meetings going over the pros and cons they finally settled on a vehicle that should be one of the lightest ones we have put on the road in some time. This vehicle boasts some of the most up to date technology on offer including:

• Forward collision warning with adaptive brake control lane departure
• Near side (left) low level door window, and a cock pit flip up passenger seat to give the best possible chance of seeing VRU on the near side
• Front mount camera on the V6 mirror (forward facing) arm aimed and from near side corner. The camera becomes active and displays on the Volvo in built info screen when the vehicle is stationary or below 7 MPH
• In cab storage and chassis mounted storage boxes to aid in the drivers keeping the cab clean of objects
• N3 chassis design for London to enable better direct vision
• A larger 370HP engine on the 6m3 and a 410HP on the 8m3 vehicles to enable better fuel consumption and an improved ability to cope with sites

Charlie Stanford, National Fleet liaison Manager commented, “All in all I am extremely happy with this years vehicles and I hope that the community members will feel the same when the first vehicles arrive early June.”