Early delivery seals the deal for Stralis

Bedford-based Universal Vehicle Solutions has taken delivery of eight new Iveco Stralis Active Time double-deck car transporters from local distributor TC Harrison, marking the first Iveco’s to join its 130-strong commercial vehicle fleet.

Iveco won this conquest order based on the availability of eight identical Euro 4 Stralis AT260S31Y/PS chassis, which were delivered six weeks ahead of the nearest projected delivery date of any other manufacturer. The initial delivery has since been followed by a repeat order, which will see a further eight Stralis 6x2 chassis delivered in June this year.

“We needed eight new vehicles on our fleet as quickly as possible to meet the increased demands being placed on our business, and invited a number of truck dealers representing some of the major manufacturers to tender for the deal,” says Fred Houghton, National Transport Manager.

“TC Harrison quoted the earliest possible delivery date, and after road testing their Stralis demonstrator, we felt very confident in the product and placed the initial order,” he adds.

The new Stralis rigids each benefit from a steering and lifting tag axle, and are fitted with a mixture of double-deck car transporter bodies manufactured by Bell Trailers and Special Vehicle Trailers (SVT). Each vehicle is specifically built for transporting salvage cars and light commercials, with a PTO-powered winch to ease the loading and unloading process.

The first batch of eight vehicles has been spread across the company’s depots in Westbury (Wiltshire), Chester (Flintshire), Sandtoft (South Yorkshire) and Sandwich (Kent). They are expected to cover up to 80,000 km a year and will remain on the fleet for their complete operational life.

Each vehicle is powered by a 7.8 litre Cursor 8 engine, developing up to 310 hp between 1,675 and 2,400 rev/min and up to 1,300 Nm of torque between 1,200 and 1,675 rev/min.

The Euro 4 Stralis models feature Iveco’s latest EuroTronic AS1420 TD gearbox, which sees the gear change controls incorporated into the dashboard on the right-hand steering column stalk, further improving cab ergonomics and making gear changes even easier for the driver. The relocation of the gear selector also opens up the flat floor area of the cab, creating additional space for the driver.