Elliotts build 100% IVECO fleet

Monday 19th April 2021

Elliotts, a 179-year-old, family-owned builders merchants group based throughout Hampshire and Dorset has been running IVECO trucks in its customer delivery fleet for 15 years now. Elliotts began replacing an ageing fleet of 18-tonne trucks with new, more versatile 26t IVECO Stralis back in 2006 and is now switching its smaller vehicles over to the brand too.

After taking delivery of six new 35C14A8 3.5t GVW Daily in February, each fitted with a VFS drop-side body, the Elliotts fleet hit 43 in total, all IVECO. With this switch having been well received among management and the drivers, the company has since ordered a further three. The new chassis cabs are well specified, featuring the renowned 8-speed HI-MATIC self-shifting gearbox in conjunction with the 140-horsepower 2.3-litre diesel.

The decision to replace its old vehicles with IVECO Daily came after the business ordered a 7.2-tonne Daily 72C18HA8 with a tail-lift equipped luton body for its Lymington-based kitchen, bathroom and bedroom business last year. Elliotts’ Operations Support Manager, Gary Tippen, consulted with the firm’s drivers to identify the optimal vehicle specification and has since received nothing but great feedback about Daily, leading already to repeat orders.

“We’re keen to support the drivers with the right tools for their job and so far with Daily the drivers absolutely love them”, says Gary. “If we look after the driver and they’re comfortable in a lovely cab with a nice gearbox, air conditioning and built-in navigation, they’re going to look after the vehicle far better, and that’s true across the range”.

“Aside from the vehicles themselves being excellent for what we ask of them,” continues Gary, “a primary reason we buy IVECO is the service we receive from Hendy. I’d go as far as to say it’s the best I’ve ever experienced by a long way. The service is second to none, (Assistant Service Manager) Dan Pledger and his team will consistently do anything to help us out and collaborate with us to keep the vehicles in the best shape through years of arduous work.”

Elliotts takes staff welfare and safety seriously with these latest vehicles carefully curated to make the most of IVECO Daily’s premium comfort and functionality features to boost productivity and driver satisfaction.

Painted its usual bright red and finished off by the smart light signature of the new full-LED headlights, the vehicles build further upon the already functional Business trimline. Air conditioning for warm south coast summers comes standard as does cruise control and electrically heated/adjustable door mirrors. Not just enhancing the styling, the LED headlights increase low-light visibility and hazard perception by up to 15%. The fog lights also activate at lower speeds in tandem with inputs from the steering and/or directional indicators to illuminate tighter bends and junctions.

The 7” touchscreen HI-CONNECT infotainment system with DAB and Bluetooth features navigation as well as Apple CarPlay & Android Auto functionality. The TomTom LIVE-based navigation system can be adjusted to take in to account the overall vehicle size and weight to banish unsuitable route choices and therefore improve delivery times.

Working closely with bodybuilder, VFS Southampton, modifications to the bodywork have been undertaken to ensure the greatest levels of operational safety. Extra grab handles, steps and load tie-down hooks have been incorporated, while the tailboard features graphics to increase other road-users’ awareness of potential blind-spots.

The remainder of Elliotts fleet is made up of IVECO Stralis. The 44t and 34 rear steer 26t Stralis AD26S31Y/FS-D 6x2 trucks, joined by the new Daily, demonstrates the faith that the firm have in the IVECO brand.

“The Elliotts fleet is a great example of the IVECO brand, covering all bases with a strong focus on TCO and productivity”, comments Hendy Truck & Van Sales Manager, Nick Prideaux. “The heavy truck ethos they know from running our trucks for years has shown how we can support with that same service level all the way down to the unmatched diversity of the Daily range. With over 340 years between us, it’s great for one local family-owned business to be able to support another in such a positive way.”

Currently, the company runs its vehicles on a 10-year change cycle and expects the Daily fleet to cover 30,000mi annually. Most of the overall fleet is covered by the IVECO ON 3XL R&M Package with every vehicle connected to the IVECO Control Room. Running data is constantly monitored to provide early warning of maintenance requirements to aid in forward planning to increase uptime and lower the Total Cost of Ownership. The truck culture runs deep within IVECO and its reactive dealer-operated 24/7 Assistance Non-Stop roadside support service is always on-hand if needed.