Iveco Daily Hi-Matic vans deliver the goods for wine merchant Corney & Barrow

Friday 3rd June 2016

Food and drink supply chain specialist Culina Group has introduced two Iveco Daily Hi-Matic vans to its fleet working on behalf of Corney & Barrow – one of the UK’s oldest independent wine merchants.

The Daily Hi-Matic clinched the order after the company tested an Iveco demonstrator from Guest Truck & Van in an extended three-month trial. Culina Group decided on the payload-optimised 7-tonne Iveco van after considering vehicles from a number of competing brands.

Culina Group’s Mark Adlington, Corney & Barrow Account Manager, says: “We deal with rare and valuable products, and as such need to have total confidence in our fleet. Iveco secured the order on the back of positive feedback from our drivers, as well as the vehicle’s projected low total cost of ownership, excellent payload capacity and impressive gearbox.”

The eight-speed transmission offered in all Daily Hi-Matic models was developed with ZF and can also be found in premium cars manufactured by sister group companies Jeep and Maserati. The Hi-Matic changes gear more quickly and precisely than even the best driver, needing less than 200 milliseconds for a gear shift when greater acceleration is required. Plus, it helps to reduce repair and maintenance costs by 10 per cent versus a standard manual transmission, thanks to its exceptional durability and reliability.

Corney & Barrow specified the Daily Hi-Matic ‘Regional’ transmission for both vehicles – one of three variants available . The Hi-Matic Regional is mission-matched for fleets which need maximum flexibility on the road, offering the driver a choice between ‘Eco’ mode – allowing for low-speed gear changes carried out to keep fuel consumption to a minimum – or ‘Power’ mode, which carries out gear changes at higher speeds for enhanced performance.

Commenting on the Hi-Matic gearbox, Adlington adds: “The majority of our deliveries are in urban areas, so a fully automatic gearbox is ideally suited for the job at hand.

“The Hi-Matic makes driving more comfortable and, from a safety perspective, allows our drivers to focus their attention on the road ahead. We have received nothing but positive comments and feedback since the Iveco vans joined the fleet.”

The new arrivals will be based in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, and used predominantly for customer deliveries in the Home Counties. They will be in operation from Monday to Friday, are expected to cover 35,000 miles annually and will remain in service with Culina Group for the next four years.

Founded in 1994, Culina Group provides shared-user logistics services, including warehousing and distribution, from 17 sites across the UK and Ireland – running a fleet of more than 1,000 commercial vehicles.

Corney & Barrow was founded more than 230 years ago, with its original shop opened by Edward Bland Corney, located on Old Broad Street in the City of London. Still privately owned, it has sales offices in Edinburgh, London, North Yorkshire and Hong Kong.