Sud Fresh, a specialist in temperature-controlled food transport, has recently invested in 31 new Volvo FHs, including 12 I Save tractors and 19 6X2 and 4X2 rigids. The new vehicles are partly used to expand the existing fleet.
Sud Fresh was founded in 1997 by Vincent Gaillard and Yvan Jemelka. The latter died in 2008, leaving Vincent Gaillard to continue the development of the company. Now based in Rhisnes, near Namur, with a second operational base in Aubange, Sud Fresh has become one of the leading providers of food transport and temperature-controlled storage. The company is growing rapidly and now employs just over 300 people.
“We currently have a fleet of 155 vehicles, 75% of which are Volvo Trucks. We have a solid long-term relationship, thanks to the good cooperation with the dealers in Namur and Luxembourg, the reliability of the equipment and the comfort that the trucks offer our drivers,” says Vincent Gaillard, CEO of Sud Fresh. To reduce the CO2 emissions of the tractors, Sud Fresh has opted for the FH 460 I-Save, which uses up to 10% less fuel. However, Vincent Gaillard is already looking further ahead: “Because we specialize in refrigerated transport, there are currently challenges regarding the range and autonomy of electric trucks. But we are actively investigating the possibilities of installing a charging infrastructure at our logistics locations, powered by solar panels and two wind turbines. Permit applications are pending with the Walloon grid operator ORES, but we are still waiting for clarification about what is possible and when we can make the investment.”
