Pedro Pet Foods has upgraded its delivery fleet with a trio of new Volvo trucks – including the FH16 750 Globetrotter 6x2 tractor unit, an FH 540 tractor unit, and an FM 460 rigid, all supplied by Dennison Commercials.
Established in 1991, Pedro Pet Foods manufactures and distributes a wide range of pet foods, delivering more than 7,000 tonnes annually. The company services the UK market, while also exporting its products to Europe and Africa.
The two tractor units will be used to transport Pedro Pet Foods products across the UK, while the rigid will be used for local delivery work in Northern Ireland.
Company owner Alan Atcheson, said: “The new Volvos look fantastic and have made a great early impression. We have tried other manufacturers over the years, but Volvo has generally come out on top. The driveability of the trucks is very good, with the I-Shift gearbox very popular with our drivers.
He also priased Damian Kerrin, new sales executive at Dennison Commercials and the team at Dennison Commercials for their “excellent service” which he said made it an easy decision to one again choose Volvo trucks.
Pedro Pet Foods’ flagship FH16 comes equipped with a Euro-6 D16K Step E engine, which delivers 750 hp and a peak torque of 3,550 Nm. This is paired with an automated 12-speed I-Shift gearbox.
The truck sports Shadow Flat Black livery and is named after Atcheson’s pet rottweiler, Guiness, who is pictured on the back of the Globetrotter cab.
“All the trucks are named after my own pets. Guiness has recently passed away, so this was a nice tribute for him,” he explains.
“We also ran a competition where our customers sent in favourite pictures of their pets, with a selection of our favourite ones now on display on the bodywork of the new rigid.”
Both the FM rigid – named Mika and sporting the registration FM15 DOG – and the FH tractor unit – called Levi, with the registration FH13 DOG – have been specified with an I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission.
This allows the driver to pre-select the next gear while operating in the current one, with one clutch idling while the other is engaged. It also improves performance when tackling hilly roads.
“We first had the Dual Clutch transmission on a truck back in 2019 and have never gone back,” Atcheson said.
“It’s so smooth and easy to drive.”
To improve access to Pedro Pet Foods own yard and various customers sites, the two tractor units are built with a rear-steer tag axle chassis.
All three new trucks include fridge-freezers and microwave ovens and are backed by Volvo Gold Contracts.
The trucks will operate from Pedro Pet Foods’ headquarters in Strabane, in County Tyrone, with the FH16 and FH tractor units expected to cover 120,000 km annually, while the FM will clock up around 70,000 km.
