Freightliner Intermodal has awarded CVS Ferrari a GBP6 million (USD10.5 million) contract for complete replacement of its box handling equipment fleet.

The order for nine F378.5 reach stackers, 10 F18EC empty container handlers and eight FYT220 tractors is the largest contract for CVS in Europe.

Freightliner managing director Peter Maybury said the investment would ensure the company provided reliable, efficient container transport services.

"Every day we handle around 2,500 boxes and this new equipment will help us move them between rail, road or store more efficiently," he said.

The new fleet will be supplied, on a maintenance inclusive basis, by CVS Ferrari UK distributor SHAD Fork Truck Ltd.

CVS area manager Paolo Tavola said Freightliner went through a long evaluation process before awarding the tender to CVS. The first machine was delivered in the northern hemisphere summer of 2005.

The machines will carry Freightliner's corporate green and yellow colours instead of CVS Ferrari's usual red livery.

Compared to Freightliner's old machines, the new ones are have lower fuel consumption engines, which produce clean exhaust emissions and are less noisy.

Freightliner Intermodal, a part of the Freightliner Group, claims to be UK's largest haulier of maritime containers. It moves more than one million standard container units (TEUs) a year.