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"I think the Volvo is in the top three price-wise... I've just bought seven more
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FH12 420s" Steve Pierce
S&J Pierce Transport is a family business based in Leighton Buzzard. Steve Pierce has been operating since 1985 and, with his son Gavin, currently runs a mixed fleet of about so vehicles including vans, rigids and artics. You could say that I was bought up on Volvos," he says. "I've been driving them since 1978 and they make up the predominant part of the fleet. We have a couple of Scanias, a couple of Renaults, a Daf 95XF with the Super Space cab and a MercedesBenz Actros 2543 just to get a feel of how the Volvos are performing. We like big engines and big cabs.
"With the Volvos we spec the XL cab with the CD trim, which includes air conditioning. It keeps the drivers happy and we don't need to spec any extras. They are mostly 3805 and 420s that we run at between 38 and 44 tonnes. I think that Volvo is in the top three price-wise and I've just bought seven more FFIrz 42os.
"We progressed to the 460 6X2 just to try it out and see what it would give us on fuel. Gavin drives it and he does a lot of runs to Italy and Germany. With the extra power it just holds the speed constant up and downhill. There is a soohp option now but we think that's just a bit over the top from 12 litres. The engine brake is brilliant—I use it all the time. I can set it to come in as I lift off of the accelerator. The exhaust brake comes in first, followed by a second stage with the engine brake. It certainly saves the service brakes on the mountains. We're holding off to see how the disc brake perform so at the moment we are still on drum brakes.
"Running double manned we can get to Milan within the zo hours. The cab is big enough for the two of us. As far as stowage space goes you have to be a bit selective in what to take, but I don't think it's any different to any other cab in that respect. The truck has done over 130,000km in the past year but we rarely run at maximum weight. The payload is usually between TO and is tonnes but the sliding fifth wheel allows us to adjust the weight on the pin to improve traction and the ride.
"We regularly get 9.0mpg and I don't think we could expect much more. Even so there is just one problem with the 6 x.z , and that's the standard 400-litre tank. It w bit limiting so we had a 350-litre tank ad on the other side, which meant re-rou the exhaust. We specified an Emi stack—it looks good and was 5o% less t the Volvo equivalent. We now have a the ical range of 1,485 miles but we always flu in France where prices are cheaper. Ita diesel is a bit suspect and it takes forev( get the VAT refunded.
"We expect to get up to 200,000lan the tyres. We fit Michelin Energy tyres to steer axle; they wear square across the t without any accelerated shoulder wear. steering gives a good feel for road condit and the cab gives a good ride without much Depending on age and mileage we them on national work as they ome older. We're just replacing our eg vehicles now. It's convenient for 13 trade them in at that age and we , get a good price for them. Our rest Volvo dealer is about 15 miles
iy at Milton Keynes.
Their back-up is second to none; t's one reason why we have stayed h them for so long. Volvo's Action vice is good and it works the same over the Continent. There has er been a problem with the billing an itemised account comes back )ugh the local dealer," Ill