A few years back, Volvo Trucks’ Stockholm Region decided to develop the handover process and centralise all new vehicle handovers to Volvo Truck Center in Huddinge.
The team manages more than 300 handovers a year for the entire region.
“They keep everything together and make sure we deliver on time and with the highest quality,” says Kristina Grinell, Sales Manager for Stockholm Region.
Today’s handover will be to a company called Thomas Betong, which has been delivering high-grade concrete and related services for over 60 years, both in Sweden and worldwide. The company already has about 30 Volvo trucks with concrete pumps, but it is about to launch its own fleet of concrete mixers. Today, their Head of Transports, Magnus Mårtensson, is here with three drivers to pick up four new Volvo FE trucks. The handover begins with lunch and within minutes everyone is joking and laughing like old friends. As it turns out, some of them are. Key Account Manager, Pierre Bordier, the man behind the sale of the four trucks, and Magnus Mårtensson, at Thomas Betong, have known each other for years.
“Volvo Trucks had a lot of good selling points and the lightweight chassis of the FE was a huge plus since we work with concrete,” says Magnus Mårtensson.
“But what made us choose Volvo over competitors with similar offers was quite simply our personal relationship. I know Pierre will always be there when I need him and we knew that we could count on Volvo to keep our fleet launch secret. Good, clear, honest communication and a feeling that they care about us as customers –that’s what we get with Volvo.”
It is important that the drivers are here, because the advanced features and functions of the trucks mean that the drivers need expert help to get the most out of their vehicles. The increasing complexity of the trucks is one of the main reasons Stockholm Region decided to centralise and improve their handovers.
“Our customers are beginning to understand that a three-hour investment now will save them many times that later on. And it saves us a lot of time, too, since we end up getting fewer questions. It’s a win-win,” says Johan Dahlquist, Volvo Trucks Driver Developer for the Stockholm-Mälardalen region.
He writes his direct phone number on the whiteboard.
“Call me if you need anything at all,” he tells the drivers.
“I don’t give this number out to just anyone, but we’re family now – we help each other.”
Everyone heads to the showroom for a first look at one of the new trucks. There are rotating laser lights, heavy metal music and a chance for everyone to get inside the cab and test out all the features.
“I’ve driven lots of trucks,” says Patrick Björkgren, driver at Thomas Betong.
“But never anything this new and advanced. A handover like this saves us hours and hours of trying to figure everything out on our own.”
Pierre Bordier says it is important to make a good impression on the drivers.
“The drivers don’t care how much the truck costs – they just want to know how it’s going to help them in their work. For them, the handover isn’t about business, it’s about feeling. We want them to leave feeling good about Volvo and happy to be driving a Volvo truck.”