Supplied by Northern Ireland dealer Diamond Trucks, the four 13-litre, 50-tonne Range K480 Xtrem 8x4s have Bennes Marrel tipping bodies, Optidriver automated gearbox with Optibrake + retarder, and are on steel suspension throughout – three leaf on the front and ultra-heavy duty 11-leaf on the 32-tonne bogie.
The 34-tonne payload enables each Range K to carry six to eight tonnes more on every load.
The new Range Ks are part of a fleet of 26 eight-wheelers that transport 1.4 million tonnes of limestone rocks and crushed stone from the company’s Swanlinbar quarry on an 11km private road over a mountain to its cement production plant at Ballyconnell, Co Cavan.
Quinn’s transport manager Gearoid Gilheany identified the Range K480 Xtrem as the truck that met all his criteria. “This is all about productivity,” he says. “We’re already running vehicles at 35 to 42 tonnes, and we wanted to move to 50 tonnes road truck.
“Most of the equipment on the Range K Xtrem is standard, and payload advantage is fantastic – each truck runs 12 to 14 times a day across the mountain, which amounts to increasing productivity per vehicle by 100 tonnes each day.”
He adds: “We will be replacing more of our fleet shortly, and the improved productivity of the Range Ks will allow us to reduce the number of vehicles to 20.”
Payload is equally impressive on the new 39-tonne Range Cs, which give the flexibility of five axles in the South and revert to 32 tonnes when operating in Northern Ireland. The trucks, with fifth rear lift and steer axle, Thompson off loader body and Palfinger PK 18001 L crane, handle an increased payload of 4 tonnes over standard 32-tonners.
“The payload difference on the Range C five axles gives us an additional 22.5% every load, which means improved productivity and fewer journeys,” says Gilheany.