FAMILY-RUN road haulage company Steve Benton Transport has upgraded its commercial fleet with a keen eye on road safety and the environment.
Founder Steve Benton – who started the business over 25 years ago with a single desk and one truck – has taken delivery of seven new Volvo FH vehicles to replace older models in his fleet of 70.
The company says safety and environmental factors were among key considerations in selecting the new trucks, which were supplied by the Dan Byworth from the Hartshorne Group in Birmingham.
Steve said: “We pride ourselves on running an impressive fleet and we’ve partnered with Hartshorne on that basis for decades”.
The new trucks are fitted with the latest Volvo I-See technology and long haul fuel package. Volvo I-See is a forward thinking predictive cruise control system that plans or “looks” at the journey ahead. Selecting cruise control, I-See uses stored topographic cloud and map based GPS data, efficiently supporting the truck up hill and down dale.
“Besides returning good fuel figures, I am also impressed with the lane-change technology, which enhances road safety”, states Steve.
Steve Benton Transport has depots in Birmingham, Nottingham and Market Rasen, employing almost 100 people. Steve’s wife Jackie and their family have helped to build the business over the years. The company distributes across the UK and in Europe, transporting a wide range of goods.
Hartshorne Managing Director Ian Middleton said: “We’re proud to partner with Steve and his team. They are amongst our many long-standing customers in the region and it is always a pleasure to work with them.”
Steve says the amazing growth of the business from being a single truck operation is down to three factors: hard work, luck, and great staff.
He explained: “You obviously need hard-work but you also need a little bit of luck. In my case, I’ve been blessed with a fantastic team, some of whom have been with me for 20 years or more.”
Earlier this year, Volvo presented Steve with an award for his contribution to the sector. He is pictured receiving it from Robert Grozdanovski (Managing Director, Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland) and Heléne Mellquist (President, Volvo Trucks Europe).