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MAKE RATOR
Page 51
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VOLVO THOMPSONS OF PRUDHOE
Based: Northumberland Industry: Demolition, earthworks, recycling, skip hire Fleet size: 135 Fuel economy: 9.8mpg; 5% AdBlue use Mileage: 65,000kms Problems: Fuel economy This year, demolition, recycling and earthworks contractor Thompsons of Prudhoe will be celebrating 60 years in business. The current chairman, John Thompson, is the son of founders William and Margaret, while his son John. and daughter Helen serve on the board.
Based in Northumberland, the company employs 330 staff and boasts a 135-strong fleet, as well as plant equipment that work on a variety of different contracts.
Thompsons runs four quarries, four waste disposal sites and three recycling sites across Northumberland, Durham, Cumbria and Tyne and Wear. Volvo trucks figure heavily, and the firm has added four Euro-4 FL240 skip loaders from Volvo Truck and Bus North.
Even though transport manager Ronnie McGrouther has good words for the FL240, he has been less than impressed by its fuel returns. After reporting back to the manufacturer that its fuel return wasn't all that it should be, the manufacturer took decisive action. "I challenged the mpg on the Volvo and they took the vehicle away to be tested," he said. "We brought it to their attention that we were running a MAN and that it had sneaked ahead. They said they had some downloads to put on it and it came back better."
Things have improved, The MAN is getting 9,72mpg with an EGR driveline, and the Volvo is returning 9.8mpg plus the AdBlue usage.
They said a tank [of AdBluej would last a week, but that hasn't been happening. Perhaps always running fully freighted hasn't helped, I don't really know why.
"I'm not knocking the vehicle the drivers like it, and they have included the AdBlue into their normal day. The trucks are right," he says, but he isn't satisfied with the AdBlue dosage,
That and the high Volvo retail price has led to McGrouther ordering two MANS for the fleet; but he hasn't sounded the death knell for the Swedes .. yet. "We'll buy some more Volvos in the future as part of the replacement programme," he says.