All are based on Citroën chassis, and were specified with Bevan’s patented Safe-T-Drop system, designed to eliminate risks of a falls from height by operatives working on the vehicle bed.
Jason Clement, procurement co-ordinator at Amey, explains that the Safe-T-Drop rails can be folded away for loading and unloading, and are strong enough to withstand impacts, even from forklifts.
Raising the dropsides is also quick and simple, he says. Also, they can only be closed with the Safe-T-Drop rails in place, ensuring correct and safe operation.
“With other systems, operatives might have mislaid safety rails while working on sites [but] the Safe-T-Drop rails, by contrast, are permanently fixed to the vehicle, so it’s not possible to lose them,” states Clement.
“This means that whenever and wherever they are, our Bevan-built tippers always meet our stringent health and safety standards.”
In addition to tipping bodies, the new vehicles have also been equipped with storage lockers behind the cabs and 250kg capacity SwingLift miniloader Penny Hydraulics cranes.
“We’ve been impressed by Bevan’s all-round package, which includes its service as well as the vehicles themselves,” continues Clement, adding that Bevan Specialist Products has also supplied Amey with a further 19 Renault 3.5-tonners.
All are dropsiders and also fitted with Safe-T-Drop systems. Twelve are traffic management vehicles with rear-mounted light boards. Three are short-bodied mobile workstations with tool pods and, in one case, a welding plant. Two have short bodies, fitted with rear-mounted HMF cranes. And two are based on longer bodies for carrying scaffold equipment.
“Bevan’s build quality is very good, of course, and its pricing keen,” comments Clement.
“Quotes are invariably turned around very rapidly but are also thorough and ‘to the brief’, while the bodybuilder’s Bevan Passport scheme is brilliant in assisting us to secure [IVAs] on our vehicles with minimum of hassle.”
Bevan is now working on orders from Amy for several 7.2-tonne Iveco light trucks, including more highways maintenance units and caged tippers that will be used for street cleansing on the Isle of Wight.