Fleet of 12 Volvo FMX trucks join Ardent Hire

The Bedford-based plant hire company Ardent Hire has added the first of 12 new Volvo FMX 420 trucks to its fleet. Equipped with beavertail bodies by Webb Truck Equipment, the units were supplied by Paul Wright, sales director, commercial vehicle leasing at Asset Alliance Group. Ardent Hire has taken the vehicles on a hire purchase agreement. The FMX trucks are part of a wider fleet renewal programme that began with 20 new Volvo FH 500 6x2 tractor units at the end of last year. 

Gareth Clements, group operations director at Ardent Hire, said: “We first got to know Asset Alliance Group after its purchase of Hanbury Riverside, and in the years since they’ve proven to be a reliable partner for our operation, which supplies first-class self-drive and operated plant equipment across the country. Ultimately, we know we can trust them to supply us with flexible and competitive terms, which has allowed us to continually drive our business forward and meet our customers’ needs.”

Ardent Hire’s FMX trucks feature Dura-Bright alloy wheels, full air suspension and safety equipment including forward collision warning and advanced emergency braking, lane keeping support and nearside proximity sensors. AirBar systems have also been fitted to the vehicles to create a visual cue for other road users or pedestrians to keep their distance from the truck once the driver exits the cab. 

The latest order of 12 vehicles join Ardent Hire’s exclusively Volvo fleet of 32 trucks. The company has 35 drivers who move plant equipment across the UK. Its jobs vary from equipment required for music events to machinery needed for construction projects. Ardent Hire has one of the largest telehandler fleets in the UK and supplies other plant including forklifts, roto telehandlers, smart fuel tanks and attachments. Equipment is supplied from six depots in Glasgow, Ipswich, Bristol, Fareham, Bedford and Tamworth.