Europa Road, part of leading logistics operator Europa Worldwide Group, has continued to invest in its UK artic fleet, with the introduction of five new high spec Renault T range 6 x 2440 13 L trucks into its 50 strong fleet.
This comes as part of the drive to improve the comfort credentials for its drivers, with five more Renaults due to join the fleet in May, and an ongoing replacement strategy to renew the whole artic fleet over the next 2 years.
Europa Road’s fleet was shifted to be exclusively Renault some years ago. The latest models were specifically identified as optimum replacements for older vehicles which were nearing the end of their life within the ongoing rolling stock management programme.
Dan Cook, Operations Director for Europa Road, commented: “As part of the expansion of the full and part load unaccompanied business, Europa has increased its artic fleet to support the desire to undertake more inhouse port haulage.
“This means a change to the traditional Europa UK haulage model, where the day starts and finishes at Dartford, and an increase in ‘tramping,’ meaning the vehicle and driver are away from base for several days at a time.
“For this reason, now more than ever, it is necessary to ensure the most appropriate equipment to reflect comfort and facilities for drivers is provided.”
The ongoing HGV driver shortage, still estimated to be around 100,000 means it is vital that driver satisfaction is put to the forefront of investment considerations.
In taking small steps to improve the working conditions of its valued driving team, Europa Road continues to ensure it is doing all it can to retain those fulfilling this crucial role, which is vital to the supply chains of all customers.
By choosing new trucks with high end features in the cab’s design – such as a microwave, a fridge, and an inverter – drivers are able to plug in other home creature comforts without issue.
There is also extra storage capacity for both food and personal items, making the driver more comfortable when away from home for days at a time.
Speaking about the latest upgrades, Malcolm Castle, General Manager – Domestic Transport at Europa Road, commented: “It is absolutely critical that our vehicles are kept in the best possible condition to enable our European road freight sales network to operate seamlessly and without interruption.
“The introduction of these five new top-spec Renault Trucks, with more to follow, show our drivers that they are valued and that we will go the extra mile to ensure they can do their job in comfort and in safety.
“Our drivers are the beating heart of Europa Road’s operations, and we want them to know we will always strive to invest in the best possible vehicles on the market.”
The Renault T models, and all other trucks in Europa Road’s fleet, meet the stringent Euro 6 emissions standards to ensure their environmental impacts are kept to a minimum.
Moves are also afoot to determine what other adjustments might be made following on from Government’s recent endorsement of the introduction of more aerodynamic features and longer cabs to reduce fuel consumption.
Europa Road is fully committed to reducing its carbon footprint across the business and is developing plans to meet the phasing out of new fossil fuel vehicles in the commercial sector from 2030.
Operating from 13 local sales branch sites in the UK – with three more due to open imminently – Europa Road’s network groupage solution offers interconnectivity between each location and the state-of-the-art groupage hub at the Shield Road site in Dartford.
Customers benefit from scheduled, daily, round-trip trunking that allows all shipments to link into Europe every single day. All services are underpinned by the best online IT, shipment tracking, overall high performance, and local account management.
The last few years have seen major investment and growth for Europa Road, which invested over £5m in Europa Flow. This successfully allowed goods to move quickly and efficiently between the UK and EU with minimal delays post-Brexit.
Europa Worldwide Group is an ambitious independent logistics operator with four divisions – Europa Road, Europa Air & Sea, Europa Warehouse, and Continental Cargo Carriers. Europa has featured in The Sunday Times Top Track 250 for the third time and employs over 1,300 across the UK, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
