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Campaign to find ‘True Blue’ Volvo Owners and Customers continues
The ongoing search to find the most loyal customers and drivers of Volvo Trucks over the past decades continues, as Fleet Transport marks 50 years since the renowned Swedish brand entered the Irish market. Volvo Trucks’ origins in Ireland began with the Dennison Brothers, who, having established a dealership in Northern Ireland, formed Irish Commercials in Naas in 1971, securing the franchise for the Republic. They soon teamed up with the McCarthy Brothers from Watergrasshill, Cork to form McCarthy Commercials, which covered the Munster region. In subsequent years, both Irish Commercials and McCarthys expanded their businesses to set up dealerships in Dublin, Kilkenny and Limerick. Volvo Trucks also appointed McDonnell Commercials in Monaghan and a sub-dealer in Mayo before appointing Des Murphy Commercials as a dealer in Galway. Combined, the country’s Volvo Truck customers are well catered for through this dealership network. Irish
in from Kate and Mike Monaghan from Cork. Mike outlined his family’s history with Volvo and the long business association with McCarthy Commercials. “In 1932, my father got a haulage license plate and tipped away at road transport in the region. In 1967, I joined the business, worked with him and in 1974, we decided to buy our first ‘artic’. My father was very friendly with Donal and Henry McCarthy, (McCarthy Commercials) who had set up their own Volvo Truck sales and service in Watergrasshill some years earlier, and that is where we bought our first Volvo F88. My brother Andy joined the business at that time but unfortunately my father got ill and passed away shortly after that. Another new F88 soon followed and in 1978, we purchased a brand new F12. Jimmy, a third brother joined the business in 1978 after a stint at McCarthys as an apprentice mechanic. This set in motion a continuous relationship with Volvo Trucks for the family business which exists to this day, buying new from McCarthys right up until the late 1990s and having up to ten Volvos at one stage. Over the years, I was fortunate to be part of a number of trips with Volvo Trucks to the UK, Sweden and the Amsterdam. All business related, of course!
Commercials operate out of a new headquarters in Naas and has an outlet in Santry, Dublin. In the ongoing ‘True Blue’ campaign to find the most loyal Volvo Truck customer and driver, submissions are flowing in. One perfect example came FLEETTRANSPORT | JUNE - JULY 21
As we were operated in mostly regional low mileage haulage, a deliberate policy change was that we decided to buy second-hand trucks, usually three to four years old, almost all from England but of course, all Volvos. This policy has served us well, especially after the economic crash in 2008, where work almost ceased. However, with the help of two older brothers, who, as my mother used to always say “did well for themselves”, they helped with a ‘dig out’, to use a famous term from a leading politician! Today, we employ six full time staff, with another three working part time and business is good, keeping us busy. We run a fleet of ten Volvos at the
moment and one of our major assets is we have the best mechanic in Ireland, who is with us 32 years. As a business that has served us well, we have huge pride in our fleet of Volvo Trucks. While we never made a fortune from it, again as my mother used to say, “ye were short of nothing”. Jimmy and I drive continue to drive full time, Andrew runs the office with a little help from two of our sisters, Eileen and Martina, who look after the books. Regarding technology, when I first started driving in 1967, double clutching and no power steering was part of the game. I remember asking my father if it
could ever happen that there would be automatic gearboxes in trucks as I was finding it difficult to changing gears. An emphatic “No” he said. To me, having the Volvo I-Shift automated transmission on the trucks has been the major change and huge improvement.” A fascinating story, and one of just many from the multiple Volvo Trucks loyal owners out there. Please continue to send in your stories and pictures to enquiries@fleet.ie. The Volvo Trucks ‘True Blue’ campaign will honour both customer and driver with separate prizes from each participating dealer. For the Owner/Operator: Do you see the truck as a vital asset for the company or just a means to an end for the business? Do you take pride in your company’s livery featured on your Volvo truck? Is there any pleasant memory associated with any of the Volvos operated over the years that can be told? For the Volvo Driver: What attracted you to be a truck driver? What’s best about a Volvo truck? Have you a funny incident associated from your time out on the road with your Volvo? What has been the most significant development in truck technology over the years? Text: Jarlath Sweeney – editor@fleet.ie
