Supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland, the high specification 170-tonne tractor unit features Volvo’s I-Shift Crawler gearbox and Dynamic Steering system, and tandem RSS 2610 hub reduction axles with a final drive ratio of 4.55:1.
Limehillock Quarries opted for the Globetrotter XL Cab with twin bunks and a Drive 16++ package, and the tractor is fitted with a heavy-duty Jost sliding fifth wheel and an SB Components comprehensive rear cab module, which includes a split fuel and hydraulic tank.
The four-axle chassis also features a ten-tonne front axle and a nine-tonne mid-lift pusher axle, to avoid use of jeep dollies with low loader trailers.
“When considering a new heavy haulage truck, we first put out our requirements to every commercial vehicle manufacturer and requested a demonstration vehicle as you cannot buy this type of truck from specification sheets alone,” says Richard Murray, owner of Limehillock Quarries.
“Only Volvo Trucks and one other manufacturer were able to supply demonstrators and the other truck provided for appraisal was only available with a manual gearbox and we felt its engine power output was not quite sufficient for the weights involved.”
Murray adds: “The Volvo Dynamic Steering system is already ticking all the boxes for our driver and he’s also very impressed with the I-Shift Crawler gearbox’s capabilities, particularly when pulling away loaded on an uphill slope.
“Despite being capable of 170-tonne operations, physically the truck is easy to drive.”
Six-weekly inspections are carried out on site, with routine servicing at the dealer’s Inverness depot.