Not much more than a stone’s throw from Gatwick airport reside all our favourite fantasy SuperHeroes. Whilst SuperMan, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and others have been there for some time, this month Batman has arrived too.
For SuperHero, read SuperTruck – because this particular Batman is a Volvo FMX with a truly heroic specification. Owned and operated by DJ Grab Services of Horley, company boss Danny Gallen is truly committed to running one of the most outstanding tipper fleets anywhere.
“Running tippers is a tough business” says Danny, “but it has to be a bit of fun as well. The industry is full of characters, so there’s no need to be boring. I really believe that what you get out of life depends on what you put into it – so here we put in a lot. We want our business to be exceptional – and recognised as such. The vehicle liveries help us to be a stand – out business, to differentiate us from the rest. But that’s just the start – we also build the very maximum specification into our trucks as well.”
The DJ Grab fleet is founded on the simple philosophy of running the best possible Thompsons body fitted to the best possible Volvo chassis. This way, the trucks deliver the best possible performance over many years of hard work. Being totally on top of their job, reliability is maximised and downtime minimised.
“Our business depends upon us offering a service” adds Danny, “and delivering that service reliably, efficiently, each day and every day is ultimately what we are all about. That’s why we run the best possible vehicles that we can.”
With tippers, it’s always their bodies that take the biggest punishment so DJ Grab’s whole 15 – strong fleet is standardized on Thompsons’ all – steel, double – skinned Loadmaster fitted with an AutoLift hydraulically operated tailgate. Whether working with a crane or just as a straight tipper, the Loadmasters combine outstanding strength and durability when carrying any type of load.
Under the bodies and providing all DJ’s movement requirements are Volvo FMX chassis fitted with seriously powerful engines – the latest examples, including Batman, being 13 litre 540hp examples working with I- Shift automatic gearboxes. Progress both on and off – road is therefore inevitably smooth and swift, making these tippers (and with their leather trimmed cabs) a true driver’s delight.
Batman has another unusual feature too – the crane can be operated from within the cab. This means that for conventional side loading with a shovel, the crane can be raised out of the way without the driver having to leave his seat.
Operating from spacious, purpose – built premises DJ Grab Services is a Licensed Waste Carrier offering everything from site clearance, muckaway, recycling and waste disposal through to the supply of aggregates and topsoil. Unusually, the company also offers a genuine 24/7 availability, with its operations covering London, Surrey, Sussex and Kent.
With Batman now hard at work, another two new SuperHeroes will also be joining the DJ’s fleet early in the summer.
