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CM discovers how making some heavy decisions proved to be enlightening for ABE (Ledbury) MD Andy Boyle
Words: Steve Gray When the maximum gross weight limit
for two-axled rigids was raised from 16 tonnes, irst to 17 tonnes and then to 18 tonnes, most operators followed suit which, on the face of it, would seem to be a no-brainer. After all, it makes sense to go for the highest weight on offer to increase payload, improve eficiency and allow for greater lexibility. Or does it?
One man who believes big is not necessarily always best is Andy Boyle, immediate past chairman of the RHA and MD of ABE (Ledbury), the family owned, Hereford shire-based, haulage, storage and distribution company.
Fed up with running 7.5-tonners, which he describes as being about as much use as having a handbrake on a canoe, Boyle decided he might just as well operate 15-tonners instead. The reasons were simple. Drivers of 7.5-tonne trucks now need a C1 licence, so if they have to take a test anyway they might as well take it on a heavier vehicle. Boyle also reasoned that as the bigger vehicles had much the same ‘footprint’ as the lighter ones and their running costs were not so much more, they offered a better bet. Add to that the extra payload capacity and it was no contest.
As a result he discovered an interesting fact: a 15-tonner can also be a viable alternative to an 18-tonner.
Boyle believes the 15-tonner will, more often than not, do the job more cheaply and effectively than its heavier brother and he offers some convincing arguments, inancial and operational, to support his case.
“Take VED for a start,” says Boyle. “Currently, taxing an 18-tonner will set you back £650 a year, whereas a 15-tonner comes in at £238. That’s a £412 saving straightaway – not massive but, as Tesco might say, every little helps. Even more importantly, there is fuel consumption. We run four 15-tonners [Daf LFs] that bring in between 13.4mpg and 14.53mpg. Our seven 18-tonners, doing similar work on similar runs, vary between 11.05mpg and 11.70mpg. That’s a big difference which adds up to a really signiicant saving during the course of a year.
Comparing wear rates
“The smaller wheels (19.5in instead of 22.5in) itted on the lower weight vehicles mean that their tyres cost less, but we’ve noticed no appreciable difference in wear rates between the two sets of vehicles. Servicing and maintenance costs tend to be slightly lower for the lighter trucks too.” Journey times are comparable and there is no issue about power: two of Boyle’s 15-tonners have 180hp engines and two 220hp, both of which give respectable power-to-weight ratios. Boyle says that with so many engine options these days there’s one to suit every application at 15 tonnes, from fast inter-city parcel delivery to multi-drop urban work.
Like all sensible operators he carefully monitors his trucks’ performance so is conident his igures are accurate.
There are other big advantages to running 15-tonners too, according to Boyle.
“Most 18-tonne vehicles use ‘big truck’ cabs borrowed from their multi-axled and artic siblings and everything else about them from chassis to power train screams heavy,” he says.
“A bigger cab might mean more interior space and maybe a few more creature comforts for the driver, but in truth all modern cabs are pretty spacious and well equipped so it’s really not much of an issue. Another advantage of the smaller cabs, which tend to be based on those used for 7.5-tonners and above, is that they are arguably more accessible for the driver on multi-drop work. Access to tight or dificult delivery points is often easier with the 15-tonne vehicle too, as effectively they have the same ‘footprint’ as a 7.5-tonner.
“And from an environmental point of view the 18-tonner is by far the worst vehicle when it comes to road damage.
“Smaller (19.5in) wheels and tyres keep the platform height down on the 15-tonner for easier loading. They also keep overall body height down – a boon if the vehicle has to travel regularly along narrow roads with overhanging trees or other obstacles which could damage the bodywork.” It might be argued that because the truck is smaller it can’t carry the volume of goods, but Boyle is quick to dismiss this. “It’s quite possible under C&U regs to get virtually the same sized body on a 15-tonner as on an 18-tonner,” he says. “This means there is effectively no volume disadvantage for the lighter truck.” So if the 15-tonner does more or less all that an 18-tonner does, more cheaply and virtually as effectively, why does he still run 18-tonners? And why hasn’t the transport industry as a whole taken them up to any large extent as a more viable option?
To the irst question, Boyle says that as a member of Palletline, he needs to run 18-tonners because maintaining lexibility is an essential requirement; one consignment of pallets might weigh twice that of another. However, for a lot of his work the lower weight truck does the trick.
As for the second question, he’s genuinely perplexed as to why more don’t go for the lighter vehicles, but suspects it’s all down to wanting to keep their options open. A bigger truck can handle lighter loads as well as heavier ones, but the reverse is not true. It could also be that, historically, residual values for maximum weight two-axled rigids hold up better than for those lower down the scale.
However, all this could change. Boyle believes that as the economic downturn continues – and it might get worse before it gets better – operators will be forced to take a long, hard look at the vehicles they run and make much more informed purchasing decisions.
Informed choices
One-size-its-all might no longer be the mantra and the beneits of choosing exactly the right vehicle for the job will become more apparent, he reckons.
Boyle has looked at his leet from top to bottom and made some informed choices. For example, he now runs a 6.5-tonne Iveco Daily instead of a 7.5-tonner. This lighter truck gives a similar payload yet can be driven on a car licence and its car-like comfort and manoeuvrability make it ideal for city work. Even his HGV drivers have taken to it.
At the other end of the scale he has some six-wheelers, not something you’d normally expect to ind in a general haulage leet. Boyle maintains they are ideal for certain types of pallet work and their relatively low rate of VED keeps costs down.
Many will no doubt disagree with his philosophy, but he must be doing something right. He started ABE in 1972 and now runs a mixed leet of 28, ranging from the Daily to maximum weight artics. His work today is as varied as his leet: ABE carries goods for such diverse customers as pharmaceutical manufacturers and cider makers.
Boyle has built the business by offering customers reliability, quality, personal service with attention to detail and a real understanding of their requirements – including specifying the right vehicle for the job. n