OPERATORS' VERDICTS
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This being a fleet tractor, we went out and about to ask fleet operators about their experiences with the G340ti Manaver tractor.
BFI has been running three Manager G340tis out of its Perry Oaks works on the edge of Heathrow Airport for the past 18 months. They are used on sludge collection from Kew and Richmond and pull bulk tanks. There have been a few niggling problems, says David Bird, BFI's tanker division manager. Most have been sorted quickly but some, such as fuel-tank straps breaking and leaks from the air suspension, have reoccurred. His drivers are happy with the way the vehicles perform. "The feedback I have had is that they go very well," he says, "although the gearbox is not to everyone's liking. There
is more than enough room in the cab for our operation." However, that operation is mainly local so the blanked off areas in the cab, while improving sleeper comfort, are drawback to Bird's drivers when manoeuvring. The air suspension on the rear axle, cab and the seat is a little too much for the drives' liking, he adds.
Edwin Shirley hired a Manager G340ti for almost three months during which time the vehicle acquitted itself well. It did have one problem with the gear linkage which was corrected without disrupting its operation, says Richard Teece from Edwin Shirley's transport department. The Manager was less powerful than some of his vehicles—but he found the Fuel consumption to be reasonable.
Contract driver Mark Collister likes the truck, finding the brakes and steering especially good. Collister says the visibility and mirrors are good, as is the instrument layout, but the cab is on the small side for the lengthy Continental tours undertaken by Edwin Shirley's trucks. However, he's persevered with it so it can't be too bad, says Teece. "Our drivers will soon say if the truck isn't up to it and we would have changed it if he had asked," he explains. Samat UK runs a fleet of 23 Managers on ADI bulk tank work across the Benelux, France and Italy. Managing director Bob King says the Fuel consumption is acceptable but not brilliant. He has Found the Manager to be a reasonable workhorses but has encountered a few problems which were dealt with by Renault Assistance.
His drivers do complain about the size of the cab on longer trips and King says that the cab's ventilation is not good enough for trips to Southern Europe during the summer.