40 new Cemex trucks hit the road
Cemex UK has invested UK£2.9m in 40 new MAN vehicles to be based at its South Ferriby cement plant in Lincolnshire. The MAN 26-440 Euro 5 TGS 6 x 2 tractor units, fitted with Gardner Denver XK 12 blower unit and Hyropack will replace 40 existing vehicles that have completed over three-quarters of a million kilometers and are suffering from increased downtime.
Cemex UK has a logistics fleet of nearly 400 vehicles that service the cement and aggregates business and in total cover nearly 90mkm per annum. These vehicles are complimented by over 500 ready mixed concrete trucks in Cemex livery, which are owned and driven by independent haulage contractors. The operating benefits of the new vehicles include fuel savings of around 3 – 5% per gallon, CO2 emission reduction compared to the previous MAN Euro4 model, reduction in the use of gas oil and increase carrying capacity of three-quarters of a tonne of cement due to the removal of the donkey or slave engine. The donkey engine is currently fitted to the tanker with a compressor allows pressurised cement in the tanker to be dispensed.
In addition to operating benefits, the new vehicles give the company the opportunity to add extra features aimed at elevating health and safety standards. All grab handles are painted red to encourage three points of contact, ground operated suzie coupling for reduced working at height and safer practice for drivers and ‘Sidescan’, a number of sensors fitted along the side of the nearside of the vehicle to aid cyclist safety.
The cement logistics fleet was the first business area of Cemex to benefit from Epod, the electronic delivery system. The new units will come fitted with this microlise telematics system which is linked to a mobile data terminal, the Epod.
“This investment is essential to ensure first class customer service. The right product at the right time and in the right place. The construction market is a highly competitive one, and one in which a continuing decline is forecast in 2011, so we cannot afford for a vehicle to break down or be off the road. Our new vehicles will help ensure we deliver our products to our customers” comments Matt Wild, Cemex Vice President Commercial Cement, Building Products and Logistics. Published under Cement News
