C&P Bird Bros hatch new 18 tonne Eurocargo

Watford, 9 May 2013

Bedfordshire-based family business C&P Bird Bros has added a new Iveco Eurocargo 180E25/P to its fleet, supplied by local dealer Guest Truck & Van.  The 4x2 rigid completes an 11-strong all-Iveco commercial vehicle fleet which is used to transport more than 150 million eggs produced annually.

Operating predominantly within a 100-mile radius of the company’s hi-tech packing station in Swineshead, the Eurocargo will carry out deliveries to high street multiples, wholesalers and caterers, as well as to regional distribution centres.

Matthew Bird, a Director of the company, says: “This is the second 18 tonner to join our fleet in the last two years.  As the company continues to grow we’re finding bigger rigids are even more efficient; they can carry three times the payload of a 7.5 tonner, plus many distribution centres won’t accept deliveries from smaller trucks.”

Mounted with a Kurt Hobbs Coachworks box body with a rear roller-shutter door, the Iveco rides on pneumatic rear air-suspension with raise/lower control to provide maximum protection for the delicate cargo.

Bird adds: “We reviewed options from four manufacturers, but the Iveco proposal was the most competitive.  We now operate 11 Iveco commercial vehicles, which speaks volumes about our confidence in the brand and the performance of the vehicles.”

The new truck will be on the road up to six days a week, clocking-up approximately 125,000 km a year – being double-shifted at peak times, and carrying back loads where possible for optimum operating efficiency.

C&P Bird Bros was founded in the mid-1960s when the egg industry was in its infancy, but the Bird family saw the potential of building a growing egg business for the future. Now, after more than 40 years of hard work, a successful business has been built in utilising state-of-the-art chicken sheds which feature electronic feeding and water systems, plus a climate controllable environment.

Every day the company sort, grade, pack and distribute hundreds of thousands of eggs into multiple configurations for customers’ individual requirements.  They are despatched via the commercial vehicle fleet within hours, to ensure they are always as fresh as possible.  All eggs produced by C&P Bird Bros meet the requirements of the British Lion Quality mark; confirmation that the eggs have been produced to some of the highest standards of food safety anywhere in the world.

The Eurocargo 180E25/P features an automated EuroTronic transmission as standard and operates with a six cylinder FPT Industrial 5.9 litre Tector engine.  This proven EEV-rated power plant is capable of producing up to 251 hp at 2,700 rev/min and up to 850 Nm of torque between 1,250 and 2,100 rev/min.

In addition to the two 18 tonne Eurocargos, the customer’s fleet includes seven 7.5 tonne Eurocargos and two 7.0 tonne Dailys.  The maximum weight Daily 70C17/Ps are proving popular for their AGile automated gearbox, ultra-competitive payload, frugal fuel economy and zero requirement for AdBlue.

For further information please visit www.birdbroseggs.co.uk

Iveco

Iveco, a Fiat Industrial company, designs, manufactures, and markets a broad range of light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles, off-road trucks, city and intercity buses and coaches as well as special vehicles for applications such as fire fighting, off-road missions, defence and civil protection.

Iveco employs almost 25,000 people and runs in 11 Countries in the world using excellent technologies.  Besides Europe, the company operates in China, Russia, Australia and Latin America.  Around 5,000 sales and service outlets in over 160 Countries guarantee technical support wherever in the world an Iveco vehicle is at work.

2391/13

ref:  IVECO 13027

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