Built by Tex Engineering, the chip spreaders are currently supplied with their own purpose-built trailers which, due to a lack of powered braking, cannot be used on EU roads. This meant FM Conway previously had to load and secure each chip spreader, including its trailer, on to the back of a step frame for transport to site.
“Moving our chip spreaders in the past has always been an arduous procedure that took up time, money and manpower,” explains John Tobin, FM Conway’s asset manager, “so we asked the team at Andover Trailers to help us design a more suitable solution.”
Andover’s designers were given the measurements for two different sized chip spreaders and access to one of the existing trailers to assist with development. They designed a road-legal, nine-tonne tandem-axle drawbar trailer capable of carrying either of the two chip spreader variants.
The trailer is equipped with Gigant axles on steel-spring suspension and runs on 235/75 R17.5 tyres. It features a full air braking system, LED lighting and aluminium loading ramps that allow loading and unloading from either side.
The new trailer means either size of chip spreader can be now towed to site using the company’s Volvo FE320 4x2 rigid.