Orange Blossom Special

Here’s the latest addition to a superb new livestock fleet from Wales, featuring Scania’s new 540 engine

- Lucy Radley

At a glance

Make & model: Scania R540 Highline

Engine: DC13 12.9-litre six cylinder Euro 6D

Power: 540hp @ 1800rpm

Torque: 2700Nm @ 1000-1300rpm

Gearbox: Opticruise 12-speed automated manual

Operator: L.E. Jones Ltd, North Wales

The MD of Welsh specialist operator L.E. Jones Hauliers, Rhys Roberts, knows plenty about driving livestock trucks as well as running them. He was employed in the game himself for 20 years, before taking on the current business with his partner Ceri Llwyd. The L.E. Jones name is familiar in the region with good reason and although the livestock side is now completely separate from the firm, most people think of that when they hear it.

“It was my uncle, who started the original L.E. Jones in 1973,” Ceri explains. She worked in the office - that’s where she met Rhys, a long serving driver with the company. Long story short, despite having no children of his own, Trefor Jones still wanted to pass the company down through the family, so he offered the livestock side to Ceri and Rhys ten years ago, to be run as a standalone concern.