Shorts Group goes for second plant body from Andover 03 November 2010

Plant and skip hire specialist Shorts Group has taken delivery of a new DAF LF55 4x2 rigid, mounted with a bespoke plant body for transporting diggers, dumpers and access platforms, manufactured by Andover Trailers.

Plant transport manager Jason Southam says the last Andover purchase the company made – a Mercedes-Benz Atego truck with a similar plant body – is still going strong.

"It looks good; it's durable; it's tough: it's exactly what we wanted," comments Southam. "We didn't even consider another manufacturer this time round. We knew we wanted the same kind of quality as last time."

The new vehicle has an eight-metre-long LPPB18 single crank plant body with beavertail, a cab-high headboard fitted with wisadeck and mesh, and is finish-painted green.

It has side raves made from lightweight steel to maximise the vehicle's payload, and 2.5-metre-long by 450-mm-high aluminium dropsides with removable pillars, for added flexibility.

Plant is loaded via hydraulic power-toe ramps fitted with Expamet, while an electric 8,000lb Superwinch and hydraulic steady legs facilitate the process. Eight pairs of lashing points in the floor hold the machinery in place, and the vehicle is also fitted with a red diesel tank and pump to fill the machines on-site.

Southam says the vehicle will cover around 25—30,000 miles a year, and will remain with the company for at least eight years.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Andover Trailers Ltd

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