Groupe CAT acquires 60 Scania car transporters
Automotive logistics specialist Groupe CAT is renewing its fleet with a significant investment of 60 Scania car transporters. TruckEast Limited supplied the order of 57 420 P low-roof rigids and three 420 G 4×2 highline tractor units. Each truck is powered by the 13-litre Super engine, generating a peak torque of 2,300Nm for the P cabs and 2,500Nm for the G.
All trucks feature the R756 single reduction rear axle and two-pedal Opticruise G25 gearbox. The first sixteen have already entered service, with the P cabs equipped with short-low rigid drawbar 11-car transporters. The bodies supplied by Rolfo and Transporter Engineering have been built to Groupe CAT’s design.
Its latest trucks are the first to display the company’s updated white and blue livery and rebrand as Groupe CAT. The company has a long-standing relationship with the Swedish marquee for CVT in the UK and internationally as Groupe CAT. “Quite simply, it’s the best truck for our operation and has been for a long time.
Its reliability, comfort and overall suitability have yet to be matched. And arguably, more importantly, we’ve always had the aftersales support,” comments Groupe CAT UK’s Managing Director, Steve Reynolds. “Uptime is vital for our fleet.
It’s not a simple matter of dropping a unit and putting another underneath; the trucks must be reliable and have a backup when needed,” he continues. With an estimated 110,000km a year, the trucks will operate on a combination of networking and trunking, with some drivers stopping out three nights a week. The latest assets replace older models and create a completely new environment for Groupe CAT’s drivers.
They’ll benefit from all the advances in the current model, such as increased visibility due to the seating position and lower side windows and maximised comfort from the cab’s design. As with the rest of the fleet, the vehicles are backed by a 7-year R&M package, centrally managed by TruckEast but maintained throughout the UK network of 84 branches. “Our operation runs UK-wide, so the breadth of Scania’s aftersales network has always been important.
No matter where our trucks are in the UK, we know a branch nearby,” concludes Steve Reynolds.
The remaining trucks are scheduled for delivery throughout 2024 and early part of 2025, with the latter half of the order featuring Scania’s new Smart Dash and digital eco-system.