Sofa, so good: Renault Trucks makes a buoyant return to upholstery delivery fleet
Following a step-up in its order book, leading upholstered furniture manufacturer, Buoyant Upholstery Ltd, has taken delivery of four new Renault Trucks T440 4×2 Evolution tractor units. The new T440s with sleeper cabs were supplied by local dealer, JDS Truck and Van, following impressive performance and reliability of three T380s that have been working on the fleet since 2019. The new tractor units join the 20-strong mixed line-up and are in operation three nights a week, delivering upholstered sofas and chairs to major furniture retailers across the UK and Ireland. Hans Jansen, Commercial Director at Buoyant Upholstery says: “Business has been particularly good over the last few years and we are very busy.
We need delivery vehicles that perform well, are reliable and keep the drivers happy; the three T380s we’ve been running for the last four years have ticked all of these boxes and we’ve had very few problems with them. We have also been very satisfied with the service from JDS too so when we were looking for new replacement vehicles, Renault Trucks was the natural first choice.” The new T440s are a step up in power from the existing T380s and feature the latest DE 440 13 litre engines providing a maximum torque of 2200Nm from 900 rpm to 1404rpm.
They are also fitted with Renault Trucks’ Optidriver AT 2612F gearbox with automatic clutch and 12 forward and 3 reverse gears. The trucks have been specified with two fuel tanks, a 405 litre capacity D710 profile on the right and a 900 litre capacity D710 profile on the left, enabling a single fuel up at base with no requirement for refuelling stops on route. Decked out for greater comfort and a safer driving experience they’re also specified with 4-point cab air suspension with ride-height control system, heated and ventilated luxury seats, 24L “quiet” fridge, multimedia screen, ECO cruise control with Optiroll, ROADPAD + navigation, and side and front recording cameras.
“Our drivers love the new T440s, they are fantastic to drive and have an extremely well-equipped cab for life on the road. They are especially pleased with the more powerful 440hp engines, the automatic gearbox as well as the comfort and safety features on board. The monthly leasing repayments are competitive too, so it was an obvious choice to opt for Renault Trucks again,” concludes Hans.
The vehicles are on a 5-year operating lease through Renault Trucks Finance including full repair and maintenance with servicing and maintenance to be carried out at the local JDS Truck and Van Blackburn depot.