TDW Distribution places trust in Volvo FE’s fuel performance and reliability

Bridgend-based TDW Distribution has upgraded its fleet with two new Volvo FE 280 6×2 rigids which will be used to deliver goods into central London as part of a three-year contract with Rockwool Insulation. Supplied by Darren Padfield, Area Sales Manager at Truck and Bus Wales and West, the company’s new FEs have been specified to maximise fuel performance and each feature a sleeper cab, curtainside bodywork and Moffett truck-mounted forklift. Andrew Williams, Managing Director of TDW Distribution, says: “We’ve been a loyal Volvo customer since the late 1970s, and have been continuously impressed by the product’s performance and reliability.
“We work our trucks hard, but no matter the distance they cover during their time on the fleet, you can practically guarantee there will be interest from the second-hand market when you decide it is time to replace them.

And the residual values are always strong.” TDW’s new rigids are powered by Euro-6 compliant D8K Step E engines, producing 280 hp and a peak torque of 1,050 Nm. They are paired with the proven I-Shift automated gearbox technology, which the company has also upgraded with Volvo’s Distribution and Construction I-Shift software packages to further refine vehicle performance and fuel efficiency.
Williams has also opted to equip his new FEs with an adjustable roof air deflector and cab side deflectors designed to yield improved fuel consumption and therefore reduced CO2 emissions; vital gains given the mileage requirements Williams expects of his fleet.

“For the first two to three years, we do ask a lot of our trucks in terms of their mileage,” he says. “When we invest in a new truck we need to know that it is both efficient on fuel, but that it can also clock-up those hard miles without issues. Time and time again our Volvos have proven they are up to the task.” Both trucks benefit from a wealth of safety features, including Volvo’s forward collision warning, advanced emergency brake, lane departure-warning systems and a lower passenger door window, while TDW has fitted additional cameras and side scan proximity sensors to bolster safety further.

In addition to its new FEs, TDW has also acquired 15 new Volvo FH 460 6×2 tractor units in 2022. These will be used for a mixture of general haulage work across the UK and Europe. “The FHs can handle everything we throw at them, be it short or long distance,” concludes Williams. “They just make our lives much easier.”

All 17 units have been purchased outright and are backed by two-year Volvo Blue Contracts, while Williams expects his new purchases to remain in his fleet for at least six years.

With more than 50 years of experience in the haulage sector, TDW Distribution is now one of the largest carriers of palletised freight in the UK.

Its new Volvos join a fleet already containing 90 trucks and 150 trailers.