United Utilities adds Volvo tipper trucks to fleet

A fleet of shiny new tipper trucks will be transporting sludge cake to farmers around the region, courtesy of United Utilities.

The firm, based in the North West, has bought 12 new tipper trucks from Volvo, its fleet partner.

The company has hired 15 new drivers in order to help deliver the sludge cake that is created at its wastewater treatment works.

It’s then used to fertilize agricultural land.

It believes that bringing this activity in-house will save it around £1 million a year.

Martin Shaw, United Utilities’ logistics manager for bioresources services, said: “Bringing the biosolids transportation service in-house will ensure we have full responsibility, control and visibility of the recycling and disposal of our biosolids.

“The vehicles will be running enhanced treated sludge cake from Davyhulme to the Derbyshire area initially then to other areas across the North West and Midlands.”

The new trucks will take sludge cake from Davyhulme in Manchester, Stockport, Leigh and Shell Green, Widnes.

Toilet waste ends up at one of United Utilities’ 569 wastewater treatment works.

It is then taken to one of the company’s 37 bioresource treatment centres.

The treated material, called biosolids, is provided to local farmers for use as a high quality fertilizer.

Last year, United Utilities switched its entire fleet of vehicles from diesel to home-produced energy within the next 10 years.

The water company reduced its annual diesel consumption from four million litres to zero.

Its large and varied fleet of vans, HGVs, 4x4s and plant equipment, is mostly powered by traditional fuels. 

However, in recent years, the company has purchased four electric vans, 11 site-based electric vehicles (EVs), two full electric cars and two hybrid cars.

It also installed nine EV charging points across its sites, expanding its network further.