IVECO’s 7.2-tonne Daily is the perfect fit for Connect Plus Services

Monday 18th December 2017

Connect Plus Services, which operates and maintains the M25 motorway network including all adjoining trunk and slip roads on behalf of Highways England, has taken delivery of its first IVECO 7.2-tonne Daily chassis cabs.

The four new vehicles were selected for their unrivalled load carrying capacity and will be used for night-time traffic management and road maintenance operations.

Supplied by South Normanton-based IVECO dealer Guest Truck & Van, the Daily offers the highest gross vehicle weight of any light commercial vehicle (LCV) on the market, combining a payload capacity greater than many 7.5-tonners with excellent manoeuvrability and low operating costs. Smaller than an Impact Protection Vehicle (IPV), the Daily makes it safer for crews to work on the hard shoulder of the motorway without encroaching into lane one.

The vehicles join a 136-strong fleet and will clock up approximately 20,000 km a year. They have been supplied on contract by Acklea, and are each fitted with traffic management bodywork built by Strongs Plastic Products.

Shaun Moseley, Operations and Maintenance Manager (North West) at Connect Plus Services, says: “We considered a number of options, but the Daily proved to be the best vehicle for our needs and came highly recommended by other highways maintenance contractors. It can easily carry all the equipment we need to cater for lane closures and urgent repairs at short notice, and still has capacity to spare. So far the Daily vehicles have fitted into the fleet perfectly; plus, we’ve had great feedback from our crews.”

Powered by a 3.0-litre Euro 6 diesel engine, the Daily 72C18 delivers up to 180 hp and 430 Nm of torque, ensuring ample power for even the most demanding duties. It stands out for being the only LCV with a truck-like solid steel load-bearing chassis made of high strength steel up to 5mm thick, giving bodybuilders maximum flexibility – perfect for the bespoke nature of traffic management vehicles. IVECO’s high performance QUAD-TOR front suspension on its twin rear wheels ensures drivers enjoy excellent control in all conditions.

Connect Plus Services specified each vehicle with a 360° camera system to maximise crew safety, and a payload indicator to ensure the vehicles never risk operating overloaded.

Moseley adds: “Our crews are working on one of the busiest motorways in Europe, so their safety is our absolute priority. The Daily’s compact size versus traditionally larger vehicles used for these roles helps us to reinforce that message because we can park on the hard shoulder and still carry out important maintenance work a safe distance from flowing traffic.”

Earlier this year, the IVECO Daily range beat all competition to win ‘Best Light Truck’ at the 2017 Fleet World Honours. IVECO won the award for the second year running after the Daily range was praised by judges for its sheer breadth and suitability across the industry.

Connect Plus Services is a joint venture business which uses the expertise of parent companies Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK on design and construction projects both domestically and overseas.

 

Connect Plus Services

Connect Plus Services (CPS) has a 30-year contract with Connect Plus on behalf of Highways England. The contract, which started in September 2009, is to maintain and operate the M25 motorway network, including all adjoining trunk and slip roads, a network of 440km across six counties. CPS also has responsibility for the Dartford River Crossing in Kent, comprising both Dartford Tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.

With a staff of around 600 people, based at seven locations across the network, CPS carries out routine maintenance, and whole-life management of the thousands of M25 assets. CPS manages the operation of the network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a severe weather season maintenance programme. CPS is identifying ways of reducing delays and improving journey time reliability across its road network.

For further information please access https://www.connectplusservices.co.uk or follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cpservices_m25 

CPS is a consortium of Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK.