Transport fleet upgrade

Cornwall Glass has bolstered the capacity of its delivery fleet with the addition of two, new Volvo FE250 18-tonne vehicles.

Representing a combined outlay of more than £250,000, the new Volvo trucks have increased Cornwall Glass Manufacturing’s delivery fleet to 21 vehicles, including 15 trucks and six vans, servicing its Plymouth, St Austell and Highbridge facilities.

Introduced to cater for increasing demand across its product range, the new Volvo trucks feature the latest fuel-efficient Euro-6 engines, aerodynamically designed cabs, and high specification equipment for drivers.

Both the new lorries were ordered with a glass carrier body, rear ‘barn doors’, and retractable roofs, which are designed to enable easier loading and unloading, in and out of the factory, or with a crane on site if required.

Mark Knight, Cornwall Glass’s joint managing director, said: “We’ve experienced an incredible amount of demand during the Covid pandemic, and despite the challenges that we have faced during this hugely challenging period, we have continued to invest in order to minimise the impact on the supply chain and to provide the best possible service for our customers.

“The national shortage of lorries and drivers has been widely reported in the press and this has caused problems across many sectors, including our industry. However, as well as increasing the capacity and quality of our transport fleet, we have also managed to avoid significant disruption to our supply by retaining our team of dedicated drivers.”

Cornwall Glass Manufacturing has also responded to increased demand for oversized glass products by investing in its Plymouth factory, with its Bystronic line capable of handling units up to 2.7m x 5m.

Cornwall Group has also committed to a £6 million spend at its Highbridge facility.

To be delivered over three years, this will expand its operations from 15,000ft² to 55,000ft², and will result in the largest of the manufacturing division’s three sites.