Reed Boardall invest in 50 safety-focused Volvo FH tractors

North Yorkshire’s Reed Boardall Group, a temperature controlled storage and distribution business, is looking to significantly expand by upgrading its fleet.

The company, based at a single site in Boroughbridge, has taken delivery of 50 brand new Volvo FH tractors with Euro 6 engines, which also feature the latest safety technology.

Supplied by the company’s regular Volvo partner, Crossroads Truck and Bus Ltd, this large investment adds to Reed Boardall’s already 180-strong fleet of vehicles, all of which are under three-years-old.

The new vehicles comply with Euro 6, the latest diesel engine emission legislation being driven by the European Commission, and they also incorporate an active safety package with driver support systems designed to improve driver comfort and safety.

One of the many features of the Volvo FH4 E6 vehicles is a lane keeping video system which monitors the truck’s position on the road and alerts the driver if there is a risk of veering off to either side, and also a lane changing support radar system which checks the blind spot on the passenger’s side and alerts the driver during lane changes if there is a risk of collision.

Furthermore, there is a driver alert feature which monitors the truck’s position and warns if the driver shows signs of tiredness; and an adaptive cruise control, with emergency braking, which increases the brake pressure to optimise slowing of the vehicle and to reduce braking distance.

The new tractors will be operating with Reed Boardall’s fleet of 300 refrigerated semi-trailers, which includes around 78 double-deck trailers, the largest fleet of refrigerated double-deckers in the UK.

Keith Boardall, group chief executive, said: “After more than 20 years serving the frozen food sector, we have established a reputation as a reliable, responsive partner to leading food manufacturers and retailers throughout the UK.

“In order to stay at the forefront of the industry, it is vital that we continue to invest in renewing our fleet to ensure that our vehicles are modern and efficient and also that they benefit from the latest advances in technology, such as these new safety features.”

Howard Gill, managing director of Reed Boardall Transport, added: “As a business that prides itself on our next day delivery promise to customers, we have to have complete confidence in our performance, from the quality of our fleet and state-of-the-art cold storage facilities, to the efficiency of our systems and high standards of service. Ensuring that we can meet our customers’ needs to have stock delivered within 24 hours in the exact volumes needed by the retailers, is at the heart of our operation.”

Reed Boardall is one of the largest temperature controlled food distribution businesses in the UK, storing and delivering frozen food from manufacturers across Britain, Europe and further afield to all the UK’s best-known supermarkets. Operating 24/7, its 180-strong fleet of vehicles delivers an average of 12,000 pallets a day and it stores around £100m worth of products on behalf of its customers.

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