CJ Sheeran places faith in Volvo for first new truck order

08/10/2020

Irish timber firm CJ Sheeran has taken delivery of six Volvo FH 460 4x2 tractor units – the first new trucks the business has put into operation.

The company, whose headquarters is in Mountrath, County Laois, test drove and compared the FH alongside equivalent models from two rival manufacturers, with Volvo coming out the runaway winner.

Mark Sheeran, Managing Director at CJ Sheeran, says: “Our drivers road tested the trucks over a number of days and the Volvo was the clear favourite. They loved the interior quality, space inside the cab and the overall driving experience. It was a fairly simple choice in the end – Volvo offered the best fuel figures with a truck our drivers loved.”

Supplied by Jim Bergin, New Truck Sales Executive at Irish Commercials, the six FHs are powered by Volvo’s D13K engine producing 460 hp and operated through a 12-speed I-Shift automated gearbox – designed to make driving easier, safer and more comfortable.

They each feature a Globetrotter Cab, which provides comfortable overnight accommodation for CJ Sheeran’s drivers while using the new trucks for nationwide deliveries of timber and pallets. The FHs will be double-shifted and work six days a week, clocking up an estimated 100,000km per year.

The new Volvos replace an older rival manufacturer’s trucks in the business’s fleet, that is now dominated by the Swedish marque.

“Our fleet is moving towards Volvo in totality thus keeping our 80 curtainsider trailers on the move effectively and efficiently,” adds James Ryan, Logistics Manager at CJ Sheeran. “These are the first new trucks we have had and we are really looking forward to seeing the results they can achieve for us. The offering from Volvo was very competitive and we quickly built up an excellent rapport with the team at Irish Commercials who left no stone unturned in convincing us that the Volvo FH was the right truck for us.”

CJ Sheeran opted for the reassurance of a Volvo Gold Contract repair & maintenance agreement, offering the best possible uptime from their new vehicles. Volvo’s Dynafleet fleet management system will also provide the business with real-time operating data, allowing CJ Sheeran to closely monitor fuel efficiency, driver times and vehicle tracking.

The trucks were supplied on contract hire deal with Volvo Financial Services.

Over the past 25 years, CJ Sheeran has grown to be Ireland’s largest manufacturer of timber packaging and pallets. The business supplies Ireland and the UK’s network of pallet users with a premium quality, accredited packaging solution. CJ Sheeran also produces a range of garden and farm timber products such as gates, fencing, playground surfacing and equine bedding.