(Watford, 3 April 2012): Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, is adding 20 Eurocargo 18 tonners to its fleet in a move which marks the first Iveco trucks to be operated by the supermarket chain. It follows the proven performance of approximately 1,500 Iveco Daily light commercials within the company’s home delivery arm, Tesco.com.
The new Eurocargo 180E25/Ps increase the size of Tesco’s rigid truck fleet to 280 vehicles, with these vehicles being used almost exclusively for urban store deliveries.
The order comprises five Eurocargos for dry freight operation, each with Lawrence David curtainside bodies. A further 15 identical chassis have been mounted with Solomon twin-compartment reefer bodies and Carrier Transicold Supra 850 MT (multi-temperature) refrigeration equipment. All 20 trucks benefit from Dhollandia low-noise tail-lifts to support quieter store deliveries.
Cliff Smith, Tesco’s Fleet Engineering Manager, explains: “We selected the Eurocargo on the back of Iveco’s excellent performance within our Tesco.com operation.
“On paper the Eurocargo ticks all of the boxes for what we require from an 18 tonner, but we’ll be gathering driver feedback and monitoring performance closely over the coming months,” he says.
For added safety, Tesco has specified all 20 vehicles with Sentinel radar reversing aids, which automatically apply the brakes for three seconds if the truck reverses too close to a potential hazard. If the obstacle moves away from the truck and no longer poses a danger the system automatically resets itself.
Tesco has also added a nearside corner proximity sensor system, StepProtect, which notifies drivers if they approach blind-spot hazards, such as pedestrians or cyclists, along the front nearside of the vehicle. An in-cab LED traffic light system mounted on the A-pillar alerts the driver when they are 1.5m, 0.8m and 0.5m from an obstacle, with an in-cab warning buzzer sounded at 0.5m.
The Eurocargos are powered by 5.9 litre FPT Tector engines which are capable of producing 251 hp at 2,700 rev/min and up to 850 Nm of torque between 1,250 and 2,100 rev/min. These engines meet the strict Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle (EEV) emissions level, enabling Tesco to operate trucks which are far cleaner than the minimum legal standard (Euro 5).
Like all new Eurocargos, they benefit from the longest service intervals in the medium truck sector: engine oil changes are only required up to every 80,000 km and gearbox oil every 300,000 km.