Spotted a strange looking FH in Kempston today, brand new and Asda logos on it, but it had a flat roof, rear quarterlights and a back window. Obviously Asda have specced it this way but I thought it looked really odd. Apologies for the poor pic quality but I saw him going out of the gate and grabbed the camera quickly.
Great Bear have a few like that. There is also a company that subs for Lidi that runs low roofed T Series.
Funny how rare low cabs have become in UK. See lots of low top Fhs in some countries.
switchlogic:
Funny how rare low cabs have become in UK. See lots of low top Fhs in some countries.
It was the low roof that first got my attention, as you say they are quite a rarity these days. I first thought that maybe it was bought cheap as part of a cancelled order for car transporters or similar, but then I realised it was Asda and they probably don’t penny pinch like that.
I noticed that M&S Renaults have windows put in the sleeper panels. Must be to help the vision required for manouevering around tight goods yard/bays on the back of shops.
Doesnt actually look tall enough for an FH, looks more like a new FM…
AndrewG:
Doesnt actually look tall enough for an FH, looks more like a new FM…
Definitely an FH I’d say but just looks low as we’re not used to seeing them with low roofs. First one I’ve seen though in Asda livery.
AndrewG:
Doesnt actually look tall enough for an FH, looks more like a new FM…
It’s an FH. The new FM still uses the same cab frame as before with the steeply raked screen
What’s it doing at Sainsbury’s then?
There’s some cracking looking low cab volvo fh,and scania r cabs in Holland and Scandinavia.
Longthornes of hebden have a few too.
Very smart
DAF95XF:
What’s it doing at Sainsbury’s then?
It ain’t mate. Sainsbug and Asda are right next to each other at Kempston.
What I don’t understand is why operators buy them, because most of them look like ones in the pictures.
You are going to get lower residual values which either means you get less for it when you sell it or pay more for it on lease. They invariably either whack a wind deflector on top ala Asda, Great Bear etc or air-horns, lit up signs etc in the same way as the other photos posted so I cant be for low height clearance. A flat floor cab like these is useless for car transporters because the top of the cab is too high for a peak deck, so you may as well go for a 10 trailer and give the driver a bit more space and yourself a bit more money at the end of the agreement.
I understand flat topped cabs for muckaway, plant work etc because they are going to ride higher from the road so what you add at the bottom you need to take off the top if bridges are not going to become an issue, but for supermarket and general haulage surely either an FM or a standard FH would be the better option.
I saw a low roof Renault in wincanton colours towing a brick/block trailer. First one I’ve seen in a while.