FIRST RENAULT TRUCKS FOR KNOWLES TRANSPORT

Cambridgeshire-based Knowles Transport has announced the arrival of the first Renault Trucks on its 120-strong fleet. Supplied by Renault Truck Commercials, two T440 6x2s decked in Knowles’ striking orange livery have been added to the company’s line-up moving food, drink and ambient to retailers across the UK and Ireland.

The addition of the first two Renault Trucks coincides with Knowles Transport’s 90-year Anniversary with the new vehicles selected for their fuel performance, driver comfort and dealer back-up service.

The relationship with the Renault Trucks salesman was the catalyst for introducing the T440s to the fleet as Managing Director, Alex Knowles, explains: “I’ve worked with Dean Hall before and he clearly understands our business and its requirements. So when Dean came to me and explained how the Renault Trucks T will work well in our operation, including fuel performance which is the sweet spot for our fleet, I trusted his judgement and was convinced to give them a trial.” 

With a busy operation across 7 East Anglian warehouses, the back-up service at Renault Trucks franchised WTL Truck and Van Centre in Duxford was crucial to the deal, as Alex adds: “Knowles provides the infrastructure and scalability of a multi-national third-party logistics company, combined with the flexibility, agility and dedication to customer care you would expect from a family-run business. Making sure our vehicles are out on the road, with minimal downtime, is key and Renault Trucks was able to tick all the boxes, offering timely pick up, good communication with the workshop and efficient replacement of parts.”

The T440s are spec’d with driver comfort and acceptance in mind, featuring optional extras that include luxury driver’s seat, Ultimate leather steering wheel, Ultimate convertible upper bunk, performance roof console with four storage compartments and doors, 4-point cab air-suspension with ride-height control system, ROADPAD + and Eco drive control with Optiroll.

Having run competitor’s vehicles for many years, introducing a new brand meant driver acceptance was fundamental: “Our driver liked the demo and we’ve spec’d the trucks out nicely. Overall, the vehicles look impressive in the livery and, although it’s still early days, the performance is in line with where we need it,” concludes Alex.