dhl#1

DHL Supply Chain has taken delivery of the first of 700 Volvo trucks, including 550 FH tractor units, which it said are the most efficient available on the market.

The first tranche of the £90m investment in its UK fleet announced last month includes vehicles which meet the latest Euro-6 Step D fuel efficiency regulation.

DHL said it was a move towards its commitment to driving down emissions to net zero by 2050.

A DHL Supply Chain spokeswoman said the trucks are equipped with driver support features and Step D engines, which makes them the most efficient available.

Step D tightens up the onboard policing requirement for engines and increases the range of operating conditions monitored.

Under Step C, emissions figures can be ignored when the engine is developing less than 20% of its maximum power. Step D reduces this threshold to 10%.

Read more

José Nava, CEO of DHL Supply Chain, said: “Our partnership with Volvo will deliver significant added value to both our customers and our drivers with the new vehicles improving our operational efficiency and reducing our carbon emissions as we support the development of our customers’ supply chains.”

Robert Grozdanovski, MD of Volvo Trucks UK and Ireland, added: “Volvo’s latest Euro-6 Step D fuel-efficient engines, combined with I-See and a driver support package will help maximise the new trucks’ fuel consumption and efficiency levels, thus contributing towards the sustainable future planned by DHL Supply Chain.”

DHL’s spokeswoman said that it had also chosen an unspecified number of LNG vehicles, “where the infrastructure supports the operational requirements and makes it viable for us to do so".