To mark the occasion, David Sullivan, Regional Managing Director of Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia, arranged a special handover of the 100th anniversary Volvo FH and presented the company owner, Richard ‘Bodge’ Ward with a special cake and bottle of champagne.
Supplied by Richard Moorse, Transport Solutions Executive at Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia, the Globetrotter Cab 6x2 pusher axle tractor unit is powered by Volvo D13K engine rated at 540hp. Painted in a unique, Nordic Light Metallic silver, Aylestone Transport’s landmark Volvo comes with virtually every safety and driver comfort option available. Bodge Ward also opted for an I-Shift Dual Clutch automated manual transmission system and Volvo’s Dynamic Steering System.
“The new 100 year Volvo FH now means we have two I-Shift Dual Clutch vehicles on our fleet and four trucks fitted with Volvo’s Dynamic Steering. Both are fantastic systems that we are now standardising on,” Bodge enthuses.
Painted chassis side skirts and Alcoa Dura Bright alloy wheels add to the new FH’s subtle wow factor, which is further boosted by several Kelsa light bars, a customised catwalk and extra detail strips with LED lights.
A full complement of safety features includes a Cycleminder system with left turn warning, all-round cameras and static cornering lights. Volvo factory options such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Emergency Collision Avoidance and a Driver Alert system, are joined by both Lane Keeping and Lane Changing support.
Inside the Globetrotter cab its driver, Joe Clarke, benefits from a full leather interior, microwave oven, a fridge and television. “We make sure the cabs are fitted out with every possible option. All this in the knowledge that our drivers only do a few nights out,” quips Bodge.
Aylestone Transport has used Volvo Blue Service Contracts on every FM and FH model bought since 2010. “These agreements cover the necessary preventative maintenance required to keep our vehicles in peak condition,” adds Bodge.
To ensure maximum business profitability and vehicle utilisation figures, Bodge opts for overnight servicing and six-weekly inspections at Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia’s Bardon base. “The entire dealer team there do a marvellous job for us. Our drivers take advantage of a courtesy car to get to and from Bardon and we stress the work must be completed for a 4am collection. Sure enough, the truck is always ready to drive away,” Bodge concludes.
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Notes for Editors :
1. Aylestone Transport was founded just after the First World War ended in late 1918, when John ‘Jack’ Ward spent his demob money to set up Ward Brothers with his brother George.
2. Based next to ‘The Black Horse’ pub in Aylestone, Leicester, Jack first acquired a horse and cart to move supplies for the village painter.
3. In 1965 the business name changed to Aylestone Transport.
4. The current owner, third generation Richard ‘Bodge’ Ward joining the family concern in the early 1980s and the firm’s first Volvo truck arrived in 2006.
