“Fuel efficient, reliable and spacious” is the verdict from leading steel carrying haulier, A Hingley Transport, following its ‘top secret’ 12 month trial of Renault Trucks’ new T-range tractor. The new Renault Trucks Euro 6 range only launched in Lyon in June, but A Hingley has had a pre-production Renault T520 Euro 6 tractor unit on the road for the past year, travelling around 2,000 miles a week.
Throughout the 12 month trial period, the company monitored fuel consumption, payload and reliability, as well as driver comfort and satisfaction. Ray Hingley, Director, A Hingley Transport was impressed with the increased fuel efficiency of the new Euro-6 truck “Our current Euro 5 Renaults are doing around 8.2mpg; with the new T-Range we were getting 9.3mpg running to South Wales with steel at 44 tonnes – an impressive fuel saving of over 13%. What’s more, the new model didn’t use any more AdBlue than our current trucks and we have been achieving the same 28.5 tonne payload.”
He continues: “We were also very impressed that in the 12 months we had the Renault we had no downtime. With a trial vehicle I would have expected more issues but it proved an extremely reliable truck.”
With an all new spacious cab and a 12-speed Optidriver automated gearbox as standard, the new tractor unit proved popular with the driver Stella Williams: “I was very happy with the new model and enjoyed driving it” she says. “From a driver’s point of view, obviously comfort is very important and I found the truck easy to drive, the cab was more spacious and well laid out, with lots of room to manoeuvre. I was impressed with the trial truck and I will be very interested to get in the finished product!”
There was tight security around the trial of the new T-range: “Both the exterior and the interior of the cab were disguised” says Stella, “and I had to ensure that I kept the curtains closed whenever I stopped.” The truck was also kept locked away at secure premises at night and maintained in-house, with everyone involved remaining tight lipped.
A Hingley Transport has a long-standing relationship with Renault Trucks, which make up about 75% of its fleet. Ray Hingley explains: “The Renault product has always been good but, with the launch of the new range, it is set to be even better! The service and back-up we receive from Renault Trucks is second to none and, following the success of this trial, we will certainly continue to buy Renaults.”
Renault Trucks launched its new Euro 6 range of trucks in Lyon on 11 June 2013, completely replacing its entire range from 7.5t to 44t. The new range is divided into: T – long haul; D – distribution; K – heavy construction; and C – construction.
A Hingley Transport was set up in 1968 by the late Arthur Hingley and his sons Alan and Ray. The business has grown from a single truck to become what is now the largest private steel carrying transport company in the West Midlands, with a fleet of 80 tractor units and 150 trailers. As well as offering a portfolio of general haulage services, A Hingley Transport delivers in excess of one million tonnes of steel related products a year throughout the UK.
The company’s trailer division, Hingley’s Trailers, specialises in the manufacture of high quality, bespoke trailers to meet exacting operational requirements. Its Recovery Division, A Hingley Recovery Services operates a comprehensive vehicle and heavy plant recovery service. The company also has a training division, A Hingley Training Services, which offers a range of HGV Driver Training Courses designed to offer personalised training for both new and existing drivers. A Hingley Training Services is an affiliate of Skills for Logistics, the Sector Skills Council for the freight logistics industries.