Image provided by Harsh Group.
Ayrshire, United Kingdom-based Hillhouse Group has called upon truck maker Volvo and tipping trailer system maker Harsh for what Harsh calls a “multi-million [dollar] investment into a brand new in-house tipper fleet, replacing a handful of previously owned trucks with no less than 23 new Volvo 8x4 FMXs, all fitted with Harsh front-end tipping gears and Harsh front-to-rear sliding sheets.”
“Having our own vehicles to complement the large number of subcontractors we use gives us a significant level of additional flexibility and versatility,” says Hillhouse Group Transport Manager Ema Allan, who Harsh says is responsible for the specifications of the company’s new trucks,
Adds Allan, “No two days are ever the same in this business, so what really counts is our ability to quickly react to changing requirements and customer needs. An in-house fleet really adds to that capability.”
Hillhouse is pleased with the new trucks’ compact size and space efficiency that also entails “minimal pipework and requiring no layout alterations to any components on the chassis rails,” according to Harsh.
“We really like this front-to-rear sliding design, not just because it fully protects the load but also because when retracted up to the headboard with the body open it reduces any potential for damage when loading —from either side of the truck,” says Allan. “As an added benefit, it’s also the best sheet for retaining heat when carrying hot tarmac.” Also involved in the fabrication, notes Allan, was the Thompsons Ltd. location in Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
The trailer bodies combine insulated aluminum sides with what Harsh calls a heavy-duty steel floor, designed to offer the maximum possible versatility “when carrying everything from hot tar to stone and aggregates.” The new Volvos also offer 19 metric tons of payload, say the companies.
Observes Allan, “Whilst we get paid by the weight of what we carry, the trucks we really need have to be versatile and robust enough to cover a full range of tasks. Going for an ultra-light specification would inevitably compromise this ability, along with all the likely added costs of extra maintenance and downtime. We’re fully confident that the combined Volvo/Harsh/Thompsons spec is the ideal solution for all the work we do.”
Remarks Hillhouse Assistant Transport Manager Claire McCafferty, “Company policy is that all [our] trucks will be less than five years old. This ensures that our fleet operates with the highest standards of performance, efficiency, fuel economy and safety. Our aim is simply to achieve ‘best practice’ in whatever we choose to do.”