Industry-leading, Volvo dealerpoint service and excellent back-up levels has led to Grays Recycling Services of Fochabers taking delivery of its fifth Volvo truck – an FMX 8×4 rigid.

Supplied by Kevin Fraser, Transport Solutions Executive at Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland, the Moray-based recycling company’s fifth truck is an FMX 8×4 rigid is fitted with Hyva bodywork and a heavy-duty Easy Sheet automatic sheeting system.

The new truck is powered by Volvo’s D11K engine rated at 450hp and the hook lift chassis’ powertrain also includes an I-Shift automated manual transmission system and single reduction drive axles with a ratio of 3.09:1. As with the remainder of the company’s locally operating fleet, the FMX comes with a Day Cab, whilst a factory-fitted chassis storage box provides secure storage for additional equipment.

“In late 2015, Kevin Fraser, Transport Solutions Executive at Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland’s Inverness dealerpoint gave us a demonstration vehicle,” reports Kenny Gray Co-Director at Grays Recycling Services. “Over a week’s evaluation, the FL 4×2 rigid skip loader delivered a solid performance and improved fuel consumption figures. We immediately saw an improvement of between 1.5 and 2.0mpg over our other marques and – as the driver liked it too – the demonstration truck was duly bought.”

“Kevin Fraser sold us the first Volvo truck and the maker’s Inverness dealerpoint service levels sold us the rest.” explains Kenny. “Kevin continues to look after our business and nothing seems any trouble for him and the Volvo Inverness team.”

Kenny explains, “We’ve five Volvo trucks in our seven-strong fleet now and we use three-year, Volvo Gold Service Contracts for the three FL skip loaders and FMX hook loader, whilst our FE Low Entry Cab (LEC) refuse collection vehicle is on a five-year Volvo Gold Service contract. We’ll keep the FE for longer, as it was a larger investment.”

All of Grays Recycling Services’ safety checks, repairs and maintenance are done on-site at Nether Dallachy, by a Volvo technician who travels from the Inverness dealerpoint every Saturday. “This arrangement works brilliantly for us. Our Volvos only visit the dealerpoint workshop twice a year, for the big service and an annual MOT test,” Kenny enthuses.

Kenny concludes, “Our standard vehicle retention period is three years. Skip loader trucks still hold good resale values then and we always sell them on privately. Each vehicle averages around 1,000 to 1,200 kilometres every week and there’s no driver shortage here; we’re lucky to have a loyal team with the attendant low staff turnover rates.”