Volvo FM’s help Musgrave Budgens Londis with driver recruitment

Community food retailer Budgens, part of the Musgrave Budgens Londis Group (MBL), is using the company’s 50 new Volvo FM tractor units to recruit new drivers and also lower the environmental impact of their trucks delivering to High Street stores.

Musgrave is Ireland’s largest grocery distributor and took over Budgens three years ago. According to MBL Transport Controller Richard Gibson, the fact that Budgens’ Wellingborough-based fleet is now 100% Volvo is an important factor in attracting and retaining the right quality of LGV driver the firm requires. “We switched to Volvo six years ago and leased the trucks for five years or one million kilometres. We ended up keeping them for six years and they really stood up well to our very intensive operation where we make daily deliveries to 200 Budgens food stores which are all in high-street locations and consequent heavy-traffic.”

MBL Driver Development representative Mick Bohan agrees and says that the FM’s also appeal to younger drivers. “Drivers come to work for Budgens because the Volvo’s are premium vehicles and we have a good wage package. The I-Shift transmission is a big step forward in terms of reducing driver fatigue. Most of our daily deliveries are made before 9am to stores in the south and south-east, so our drivers head straight into the rush-hour traffic every day. Our Volvo fleet covers 250,000 kms per week and a high proportion of it is in heavy traffic, which is where I-Shift really helps the drivers focus on the road ahead.”

The Volvo’s were also chosen for their low environmental impact on the High-Street. Richard Gibson says, “Our company values include looking out for pedestrian safety as well as driver safety. As we deliver to stores at peak times, we look for ways to reduce our ‘environmental footprint’ for pedestrian traffic. The Volvo FM’s have an unthreatening appearance and help us to reduce our impact on the High Street.”

The 50 new FM-400 4x2 tractor units, which are plated for 31 and 34 tonne GCW operation, were contract-hired from Volvo Truck and Bus Centre Midlands and feature a driver-focussed specification which includes, for the first time, Globetrotter cab, red seat belts, climate control, CD player, I-Shift automated transmission and Volvo’s Electronic Stability Programme (ESP).

The in-house Vehicle Maintenance Unit at Wellingborough is also operated by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre Midlands.