ASCO Foods, a market leader in the import and distribution of Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and other South East and Far East Asian ambient and frozen foods, has appointed Solomon Commercials to deliver two new 26-tonne DAFs to add to its growing fleet.
The business, which officially began in 2005 with three brothers, Ravi, Sunny, and Ash Chadha, can trace its history back to 1980 when the brothers’ father and uncle established the family’s food business.
During that time, ASCO Foods has grown considerably to provide food and drink products from a range of Asian countries, while expanding its customer base and market share by supplying supermarkets, food manufacturers and cash and carry stores.
Alltruck’s Leicester branch has supplied the two new 26 tonne DAF XD.340s, which feature Solomon refrigerated bodies utilising Dhollandia tail lifts and Hultsteins, HS15 multi-temp Ecofridge units.
Ecofridge is a hydraulic drive refrigeration unit, powered via a power take-off (PTO) from the rigid vehicle engine. It utilises only one engine to power both the vehicle and the refrigeration unit, which significantly reduces the environmental impact of operating the fridge. It reduces carbon and diesel usage by approximately 70 per cent.
Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is reduced by more than 98 per cent, with NOx cut by around 200 per cent. These figures are in comparison to running a diesel TRU with a secondary diesel engine.
Mike Hunter, business development manager at Alltruck said: “Asco has been a valued customer for almost ten years, and in that time our relationship has grown through trust, collaboration, and a shared drive to improve with every new vehicle. Together, we’ve explored ways to make operations more efficient while also supporting Asco Foods’ commitment to sustainability.
“By introducing solutions such as the DAF XD, Hultsteins Eco fridge unit, and Solomons fridge body, we’ve helped them reduce their environmental impact without compromising the demands of their business. Their continued trust and partnership mean a great deal to me personally, and it’s been a privilege to play a part in their journey over the years.”
Ian Lang, sales manager at Solomon Commercials, added: “This project has been a special one for me as ASCO were my very first client when I joined Solomon over 16 years ago, when they introduced their first refrigerated vehicle into their fleet. It’s great to have worked with Mike Hunter at Alltruck again, as our relationship now spans over 20 years, too, and for us all to come together on one project has been rewarding.
“Asco Foods is a real success story, and we’re proud to have been able to help them with the latest additions to their fleet. It is great to see these vehicles on the road. We all realise the trust that food service businesses place in a contract provider and body-builder when they decide to work with us, and it is doubly rewarding to have long-term relationships like these. It is truly humbling.”
Graham Usher, managing director at Hultsteins UK, concluded, “We are thrilled to provide ASCO with a sustainable diesel-free refrigeration solution. It has been a pleasure to team up with Alltruck and Solomon Commercials again to give another one of their customers a refrigeration solution that positively impacts their carbon footprint.”
