22.09.2011

AFI updates delivery fleet

UK based access rental company AFI-Uplift has taken delivery of new more efficient delivery trucks.

The order includes eight tractor units and nine rigid trucks all of which conform to the latest European emission standards and have been fitted with a range of fuel saving and emission reducing devices, including:
-A sophisticated telemetry system enabling the company to monitor vehicle and driver performance in order to maximise safety, fuel efficiency and emission reductions.

-An anti-idle feature, which cuts the engine out after two minutes of inactivity.

-Night heaters, which work from the vehicle’s battery to defrost the cab without the need to keep the engine running. They can be pre-timed to operate 15 minutes before the driver is due to set off.

-Automatic transmissions, which help to improve fuel efficiency, while reducing emissions.
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Nick Higgins (L) of AFI receives three of the new tractor units from Steve Welsh of MAN.

Safety and efficiency features include:

-Extendable work lights bathe the entire rear of the truck with light during loading and unloading.

-Extendable handrails allow the loading of machines as wide as the truck bed.

-Two individual ramps with double flip design allow a very low angle for loading. They can also traverse, under power, across the back of the vehicle to come together to form one “wider” ramp for the loading of small machines. They create far less drag than other types of ramp and this will be crucial in achieving better mpg and lower emissions.

-More tie down points to improve safety of machines in transit.

Operations Director Nick Higgins said: “It’s important that we keep our transport fleet up to date so that the vehicles are reliable and also covered by warranty should anything go wrong. The new vehicles are more efficient than the ones they are replacing, giving us savings on running costs and also providing environmental benefits.”