robroy:
Hanbury Davies used to spec up their Volvos to the hilt, sell them after 2 yrs and make minimal loss for that reason, so maybe your argument is shot down.
Didn’t WhiteWhiteWhite say similar before when people asked why they buy the expensive Scania’s? Basically they loose the same ££££ over time as buying a cheap Renault which looses half its value percentage wise during the same period. Also the used Scania is easier to sell. So if your going to loose 30k on lorry depreciation you might as well do it in style.
nsmith1180:
Where is the business case for a fridge in a wagon? Does it add residual value? No. Does it add to the purchase cost? Yes. Does it save money like speccing up the SatNav + Cruise Control option does? No. There is absolutely no reason why a fleet manager should spec a fridge in a general haulage trampers wagon. International drivers yes, because then you get into Language barriers and exchange rates. People who spend a lot of time parked in completely inaccessible locations like on building sites, yes, because they have no other way of getting a healthy meal. People who drive from RDC to RDC, never being more than ten minutes from a decent meal, no.
What rubbish. The business case is simple, valuing your employees and looking after them. If you think that doesn’t make business sense then I’m sure glad I work for Mr Bull and not you
switchlogic:
Every lorry they buy new have fridges fitted. They’re also a serious rarity, they have almost zero driver turnover!
Tbf after watching the video of the bosses they do seem a tidy pair to work for, it’s nice to know there are some out there that value their drivers, might have to take a trip up Avonmouth in a couple of years when I get back to some serious fulltime work
The fact of the matter is food is absolutely the most important thing. Having two 45 litre draws full of junk you don’t need is so much less important than 37 litres of decent food.
nsmith1180:
Another point. The Merc Actros with flat floor in either Big or GigSpace cab has 2 45l drawers under the bunk as standard. The boss can pay out £500ish + VAT if he wants, which replaces one with a 37l fridge, a reduction in storage space for an increase in cost.
Where is the business case for a fridge in a wagon? Does it add residual value? No. Does it add to the purchase cost? Yes. Does it save money like speccing up the SatNav + Cruise Control option does? No. There is absolutely no reason why a fleet manager should spec a fridge in a general haulage trampers wagon. International drivers yes, because then you get into Language barriers and exchange rates. People who spend a lot of time parked in completely inaccessible locations like on building sites, yes, because they have no other way of getting a healthy meal. People who drive from RDC to RDC, never being more than ten minutes from a decent meal, no.
If you work only on the bottom line of costs, you’ll miss the point, it costs a more to recruit a new employee and have them get up to speed with the new job than retain an existing one, (unless of course the one you’re getting rid of is a total muppet ), also Richard Branson once said look after your employees and they’ll look after you customers.
Sometimes these things aren’t easy to quantify, which is probably why accountants don’t like them, but like people standing round the water cooler in an office, there is a business advantage, even if it’s not obvious at first.
As for speccing for international trampers and not ones only working in the UK, I reckon you’ve got that the wrong way round, you can eat far better in Europe than you can in the UK.
muckles:
As for speccing for international trampers and not ones only working in the UK, I reckon you’ve got that the wrong way round, you can eat far better in Europe than you can in the UK.
He won’t know anything about that, I think he’s a 100 mile radius limper…oh ■■■■ there I go again , I’m for it now.
Merc fridge looks mahoosive when you open it up, holds bugger all, nowhere near as much as my MAN did, and at least I could find what I wanted in that.
They tried to sell it to us as a better fridge because it didn’t poke out into the drivers standing up space. I know I’m not exactly a time served driver, but I can count all the the times I fell over my old fridge on the digits of no limbs whatsoever.
switchlogic:
Something as basic as a fridge really shouldn’t be a luxury for trampers in this day and age. Still too many cheapskate bosses around. Think about it, add fridges when speccing new trucks and it would add pennies per week to the finance/lease payment.
So do all of Bulls wagons have fridges or is it only the Internet superstars that get them ?
Every lorry they buy new have fridges fitted. They’re also a serious rarity, they have almost zero driver turnover!
Most other EU companies will have fridges & maybe even freezers fitted, most have air con pods fitted , and even if your uk only tramping it’s an investment , a proper cooling pod could save lots of£££££’s on diesel from drivers leaving engine running with air con on whilst asleep, shame the Ebenezer Scrooge’s amongst these so called bosses don’t realise this when placing their orders, but as the saying goes money and fool are easily parted
nsmith1180:
Another point. The Merc Actros with flat floor in either Big or GigSpace cab has 2 45l drawers under the bunk as standard. The boss can pay out £500ish + VAT if he wants, which replaces one with a 37l fridge, a reduction in storage space for an increase in cost.
Where is the business case for a fridge in a wagon? Does it add residual value? No. Does it add to the purchase cost? Yes. Does it save money like speccing up the SatNav + Cruise Control option does? No. There is absolutely no reason why a fleet manager should spec a fridge in a general haulage trampers wagon. International drivers yes, because then you get into Language barriers and exchange rates. People who spend a lot of time parked in completely inaccessible locations like on building sites, yes, because they have no other way of getting a healthy meal. People who drive from RDC to RDC, never being more than ten minutes from a decent meal, no.
It depends how you want to look at things. Do you want to provide your drivers with the bare minimum to save a few bob in the short term or invest in looking after them a bit? The benefits of having staff that feel valued and well looked after are well proven. Having a fridge in the cab clearly makes it easier for drivers to eat better, be healthier and save money on food (night out money is not for food). The overwhelming majority of cooked food accessible to drivers on the road is crap.
Quit being an apologist for cheapskate firms, your not helping the cause of drivers in today’s industry!
If I was sharing a truck with three other drivers on 4 on 4 off I would prefer to take my own fridge.
I had a fridge fitted to my actros, it’s ok,but every now and then it thinks it’s a freezer.
If it wasn’t fitted I would have sent it back under warranty.
It’s a ■■■■■■■ to clean,I can imagine the state it would get in with multiple drivers.
), also Richard Branson once said look after your employees and they’ll look after you customers.
, I’m for it now.
not got a didgeri what that is bud, hope it’s something friendly.