Amey has ordered 80 of the vehicles, which are fitted with 250kg Swinglift electric cranes by Penny Hydraulics, and tipping bodies by Bevan.
The compact MC250 cranes are the latest in Penny’s range. Mounted to the vehicles’ headboards, they are suitable for loading whacker plates as well as other plant, signage or chemical drums. They have a high-speed hoist and come in both 12V and 24V options, powered by the vehicle battery.
Designers focused on the crane weight, with this latest model weighing in at just 20kg – maximising vehicle payload for Amey and minimising its fleet emissions.
The crane comes with an easy to use wander lead remote control, is fully demountable and has a built-in overload device.
The vehicles’ safety credentials are further boosted by Bevan’s tipper bodies, featuring the Safe-T-Drop system to prevent falls from height when operatives are working on board.
The Safe-T-Drop rails can be easily folded away for loading and unloading, and can withstand impacts from other vehicles such as forklifts. Raising the dropsides is also quick and simple; they can only be closed with the Safe-T-Drop rails in place.
Richard Guy, Amey’s head of fleet operations, says: “We are pleased we had the opportunity to have been involved in the design process of these vehicles.
“We’ve worked closely with Bevan and Penny Hydraulics to ensure that we deliver the best design that meets the needs of our highways operations and helps us to improve the safety of our teams. We are really looking forward to receiving these vehicles and putting them into operation.”