Forkers needed a workable solution for transporting various plant and equipment within legal length limits, as Dean Hudson, plant director, explains: “We wanted a truck and trailer combination that was capable of carrying a variety of plant, as well as the 20ft water containers we require for our drilling operations.
“We thought it was a tall order, but Andover tabled a design compact enough to fit within the length regulations, yet tough enough to carry the weight – something their competitors just could not match.”
The body is mounted to a Scania R450 8x2 chassis, and works alongside the Andover-built, tri-axle drawbar trailer giving a payload of up to 18.6 tonnes. Both the body and trailer can carry the water container, which can be unloaded from either using the in-built Fassi 36 tonne-metre crane.
For West Bromwich-based Forkers, it was Andover’s ramp technology that made this drawbar combination stand out. The truck features a hydraulic beavertail with fold-forward ramps. These offer a flat load bed when the truck is in use without the trailer, while allowing for maximum deck space when coupled.
The ramp design also means that the plant body can either be through-loaded via the trailer or, by positioning the drawbar at 90 degrees, can be loaded or unloaded without having to uncouple the two.
Behind the truck, the trailer’s flip toe ramps provide a shallow loading angle for low ground clearance machines.
“The drawbar combination’s versatility is what really impressed us, particularly the variety of ways we can load and unload to both truck and trailer,” says Hudson.
“It has saved us so much time and means the equipment we bring to site can just get to work, which obviously helps improve our operational efficiency.”
Other features of the build include a removable fixed width working at height system on the truck and trailer – which is stowed on the truck body headboard when not in use; a six-tonne electric winch; and a load securing system, with removable twistlocks and a range of lashing points.