"The best cab on the market for space and comfort."
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Graham Eames
Pulleyn Transport, on the outskirts of Reading, is another company that has grown from small beginnings. Adrian Pulleyn started the company in 1975 with just two small vans; now the company operates about 70 trucks and 5o trailers, and has frozen, chilled and ambient storage facilities. It is one of a handful of companies approved by the NHS's medicines control agency. As well as transporting food, medicines and vaccines, Pulleyn's also specialises in the transport and installation of computer-controlled equipment. All company drivers have ADR certification and airport security awareness certification. The cornpany runs MANs, Renaults and Volvos in addition to more than 25 Dafs.
Operations director Graham Eames says: -We have had 95 Series Dafs equipped with Space Cabs dating back to 1991 J registration. We bought the XFs with Super Space Cabs as soon as they came out. It's nice looking, and the best cab on the market for space and comfort.
"Fuel consumption sounded attractive, but there are lighter trucks around, even though all XFs come with alloy wheels for
us," he adds. "We have some 43 OS, but the later ones, from the end of last year, we specified with the 48 ohp engine to improve fuel consumption. We are averaging 8.5-rimpg. Overall electronic injection has given us about a 1mpg improvement, and the extra power helps us meet collection and delivery times and get to the ferry on time. Although we initially bought 6x2 tractive units, lately we have reverted to 4x2s. Fuel costs are all-important, and adding an 870-litre fuel tank allows us to carry up to I,430 litres on the 4x2. If we fill up in Belgium that can save us f390 on the one trip.
"Other non-standard items include a 7.5tonne front axle, 225Ah battery and 8oA alternator, air management kit, fuel heater, immobiliser and deadlock and under-bunk fridge," Eames reports. "We set out to be the best in the market, and high-specification trucks help us attract the best drivers. They cover roo,000 miles a year."
Since the beginning of the year Barnes of Reading, just two miles away, has been servicing all of Pulleyn's trucks and trailers. Pulleyn plans its servicing a week in advance—after a settling-in period the company has found this a more flexible arrangement than servicing the trucks in house. It has minor troubles with the XFs now and again, but nothing persistent The same drivers always drive the same trucks, and the company finds this means they look after them.
-The high specification gives us a longer service fife," says Eames. We place a question mark over any vehicle over five years of age, but we are still running some that are to years old. We either sell privately or trade them in. All residual values are poor, but Daf and Scania retain the best." .