North County Cork-based Crowley Transport (Churchtown) has unlocked significant
fuel savings after taking delivery of its first Volvo FH 500 with I-Save earlier this year,
with the truck averaging an impressive 27 l/100km (10.46 mpg).
Supplied by Micheál Walsh, Truck Sales Executive at McCarthy Commercials, the 6×2
Unlimited Edition tractor unit is setting a new benchmark for fuel and environmental
performance within the customer’s fleet. This is being made possible thanks to its ultra-efficient D13TC Euro-6 Step D engine, which
benefits from turbo-compounding and additional fuel-saving features to reduce fuel
consumption without compromising driveability – all whilst delivering an additional 300Nm
of low down torque to boost journey times. Liam Crowley, Director at Crowley Transport (Churchtown), says: “The fuel returns we are
seeing thanks to the I-Save package are very impressive. The truck has been on the road
since February and we’re averaging 27 l/100km, a 20% improvement on our other vehicles
on the same routes. “We know this is just the start of the savings as most of this work has come from travelling
on secondary roads. We’re looking forward to seeing its potential when we put it onto more
long-haul work, covering more ground.”
The I-Save package is designed to perform best in long-haul operations, especially those
where the truck covers at least 120,000 km per year – precisely the average projected for
this truck by Crowley Transport (Churchtown). As well as the turbo compound engine, it uses
Volvo’s I-See predictive cruise control, which analyses and adapts to gradients in the road
ahead – plus I-Cruise with I-Roll, which adjusts speed to optimise fuel consumption. “Our fleet is 100 per cent Volvo; we believe in running the best equipment we possibly can
and I’ll definitely be considering another FH with I-Save next time we upgrade our fleet. This
truck has been an outstanding addition and one of the best purchasing decisions we’ve ever
made,” Crowley adds.
The customer has achieved a striking finish for the vehicle with Conger Black premium
chassis paint, and Ultramarine Blue Metallic paint for the Globetrotter XL cab. The truck also
features Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels and an enhanced exterior finish with chrome
detailing. “The driver absolutely loves it too,” adds Crowley. “We always spec our trucks with the driver
in mind, and he is continually commenting on how comfortable it is to drive and praising the
stability and control from the Volvo Dynamic Steering.” Inside the cab, the driver enjoys a premium black leather interior, heated seats, single bunk
living package and a high level of standard equipment including under bunk fridge,
microwave and television preparation. Operating out of the business’ base in Ballyhea, the FH with I-Save works six days a week
carrying out refrigerated transport.
