Best of Both Worlds from Renault Trucks

Renault Trucks’ T High has been welcomed by operators looking for a striking new vehicle with all the features and comforts that put the driver first. Family-run RAS Haulage has opted for a real head-turner in its new range-topping T520 High, as Export & Freight has been finding out.

When Renault Trucks’ long-awaited flat floor flagship model arrived in right hand drive back in 2017, the truck was extremely well received by operators and drivers alike. Sales, according to the manufacturer, are well ahead of expectation, and production at the Lyon factory has doubled to meet growing demand from UK and Ireland customers. Nowhere has the T High had more of an impact than in Northern Ireland. According to Iain Latimer, Dealer Principal of local Renault Trucks’ dealer, Diamond Trucks, more than half of his Range T sales are the T High model. “It’s the right truck for the market, flat floor tractor units are the truck of choice here, even in larger fleets, with cab comfort, driver retention and a strong on-road image all playing their part in its success.” In September, the T520 High 6x2 TML was voted ‘Fleet Truck of the Year’ at our own Export & Freight awards. For Renault Trucks, winning this prestigious award in such a competitive sector was particularly sweet, as it recognises the efficiency and performance as well as the space and comfort of the T High. ‘It’s not only the driver’s choice, it’s the fleet operator’s choice too,’ notes Iain. For RAS Haulage, performance, comfort and image were key factors for brothers Paul and Stuart Spence when they came to select the company’s new flagship vehicle, a Renault Trucks T520 High 6x2. Based in Kilkeel, Newry, RAS Haulage has been in business since 1982, and today runs eleven tractor units, all Renaults, and ten trailers. This is the first T High to join the fleet, and has been put into service on the company’s cement bulk tanker and aggregate tipper operation working across Northern Ireland’s quarries. “The T High is the whole package, it’s great to drive, very comfortable and it looks really impressive out on the road,” says Paul. Resplendent in RAS Haulage’s striking blue and white livery, the T High is a real head-turner. Equipped with Kelsa top and bottom lightbars, rear Kelsa A Frame bar, windkit perimeter strips, LED spotlights, twin roof-mounted air horns, colour-matched cab components including fixed roof and side deflectors and Alcoa Dura-Bright aluminium wheels. Inside, the T520 High’s cab is equipped for driver comfort, with Ultimate Bronze Finish, and 40 litre quiet fridge. The T520 High with pusher axle is powered by Renault Trucks top of the range DTi 13 litre Euro-6 engine, which produces 512hp and 2550 Nm of torque. Behind this is a 12 speed Optidriver automated transmission system. Further transmission options include a Renault Trucks factory-fitted power-takeoff and a rear drive axle ratio of 2.85. Additionally, the T520 High is on front air suspension for outstanding stability, improved ride and comfort when operating in often challenging terrain. Only recently available as an option on the T High, front air is proving popular, ‘particularly in the bulk haulage and aggregates sectors where drivers enjoy the enhanced ride quality with the option to lift the suspension on site for additional ground clearance’ says Iain. Drivers also RAS Haulage has also specified Adaptive Cruise Control and emergency braking system, as well as a load per axle indicator. A loyal Renault Trucks customer for over thirty years, RAS Haulage opted for a five year Renault Trucks Start & Drive hire purchase contract with maintenance carried out by Diamond Trucks. ‘Renault Trucks’ longer term 4 or 5 year low rate finance offers provide all the upsides of a contract hire repair and maintenance agreement without the worry of vehicle return

condition or downtime during the defleet process at the end of the contract,’ says Iain. Commenting on the quality of support they receive from their local dealer, Paul says: “Our fleet is 100% Renault Trucks now, thanks to the service we receive from Diamond Trucks. We know all the people there very well, and it’s their personal service that sets them apart.” For RAS Haulage, residual values are also important, and Paul expects the T520 High to hold onto its value: “We spec’d the vehicle carefully at point of order, selecting top spec and a range of options, as the more extras on the truck the easier it is to sell on,” he adds. Strengthening residual values is crucial for Renault Trucks, too, and the growing reputation of the highly-regarded T High is having a positive effect, according to James Charnock, Commercial Trucks and Services Director, Renault Trucks. “Drivers love the generous working, living and sleeping environment, which helps to increase satisfaction and productivity,” he says. “Enhanced residual values also underpin the T High’s excellent total cost of ownership performance, so it makes real commercial sense for long-haul operators.”

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