The of Colne, Lancashire-based opeator’s latest fleet addition – specified for nationwide transport of self-erecting San Marco and Vicario tower cranes – was specified with rear air suspension, the Globetrotter cab and a single tyre tag axle.
The new flagship rigid was also been mounted with an eight-metre Sterling Truck Bodies cheese-wedge, beavertail deck, and a front-mounted Fassi 545RA crane, with a 54 tonne-metre capacity, fitted by The Crane Centre, in Sandbach – a first for the UK.
“The Fassi crane with its sub-frame weighs in at some 7 tonnes,” comments company founder Kevin Guy. “So to achieve a payload of even 12 tonnes we opted for the single tyred tag and Alcoa brushed aluminium rims.”
And he continues: “Cranes are a real focus for us at present and this new Volvo FH with drawbar trailer is perfectly suited to getting the self-erecting cranes on-site.
“Due to the ballast required by the cranes, the tallest of which has a hook height of 25 metres, we needed the 44-tonne gtw of the Volvo FH drawbar outfit,” he adds.
Guy says he also wanted something special to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his plant hire business, and states that his new FH really looks the part.
“We’ve even had a vinyl wrap on the cab, done by local company Text Styles of Colne, so it really stands out,” he says.
Guy says he aims to get all his trucks on to a four- to fiv- year replacement cycle.
“We’ve not managed that yet as we still have a 2003 Volvo FM12 8x2 with a PM 37 tonne-metre crane that continues to look after us really well,” he says.
As for maintenance, although the company has its own workshops, this FH is under an R&M contract with Thomas Hardie Commercials.
“Neil Crook at the Preston dealership has supported us really well and, with this being our first Euro 6 truck, I think it’s best to have it looked after by the dealer,” explains Guy.