BOC spends £4.6m on MANs
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INDUSTRIAL GAS supplier BOC has ordered 50 MAN TGS tractor units in a deal worth £4.6m following a successful six-month trial.
BOC, which runs 100 tractors in a 500-strong fleet, trialled Daf, MAN and Volvo units, and involved drivers in the decision process before choosing lightweight TGS 6x2 mid-lift Lite tractor units.
National fleet manager Ian Jackson says the MAN trucks ticked all the boxes. “Fifty tractor units came up for renewal, so we invited all the manufacturers to quote for the business. We ran the trial fitting the vehicles with Gardner Denver pumping gear and placed them in the network. MAN emerged as the lead vehicle.” The tractor’s lightweight chassis, developed for the petroleum market, has clear benefits for BOC. “Kerbweight is a fundamental issue. For every tonne we carry (as part of the vehicle) it is a tonne less in payload,” he adds. BOC will include Daf for future tenders and the manufacturer remains the sole supplier for its cylinder rigid-vehicle fleet.
BOC has also started a trial with an ADR-compliant dual-fuel Mercedes Actros 2546 6x2 tractor modified by Hardstaff, which uses diesel and liquefied natural gas. It is based in St Helens and will deliver hydrogen gas across the North West.