TIP-Ex 2018 sees Thompsons really losing the kilos, first in aluminium and then with a radical new steel body design

Latest News | 4th May

The over – riding theme of the Thompsons stands at TIP-Ex 2018 is losing weight, with two all – new Thompsons products on the company’s main stand in Hall A.

The first is an alloy bodied Scania eight wheeler destined for the fleet of JC Bell Newhouse Ltd of Motherwell. With a comprehensive ‘tar spec’ including an air operated split tailgate, full insulation and side to side sheeting, the 6250mm body of this truck is a very public demonstration that Thompsons is now very much a mainstream player in the UK marketplace for all types of aluminium tippers.

Having only joined the Thompsons Group last summer, Thompsons Tippers Scotland Ltd is effectively making its own debut appearance at the Show. Located at Dalmeny outside Edinburgh, this factory is now the company’s main centre of activity for all aluminium bodywork, with recently bodied tippers being delivered to customers not just in Scotland but throughout the UK.

The second truck in Hall A is a Volvo FMX 8×4 with an all – new Thompsons steel body. What makes this truck particularly interesting is that it incorporates a radically different body design that saves at least 320kgs over a current lightweight steel body such as Thompsons’ evergreen Loadmaster Lite.

Thompsons is keen to stress that at the moment this particular body (for the moment called the ‘Type R’) is an experimental prototype only, and it’s coming to the Show first and foremost to gauge public reaction. How has weight saving of this scale been achieved? All will be revealed in Harrogate!

The recently revised Thompsons ServiceTech operation will also have its own stand in Hall A, demonstrating its capacity to deliver a full range of after-sales support activities right across the UK. Having grown very considerably over the last 12 months, Blackburn – based ServiceTech also undertakes a wide range of third party engineering work such as the installation of skiploader and hookloader bodywork, wet kits and sheeting systems.

Outside of the Show, numerous examples of Thompsons bodywork will be on display, with many trucks featuring the ever popular Loadmaster and Loadmaster Lite. Of particular interest will be the recently launched 8×4 side tipper, fitted with a rear mounted crane and grab. Thompsons sister company Charlton Bodies of Dover will also have a strong presence at TIP-Ex with their SuperLite and GrabLite models mounted on a variety of standard 8×4 and ‘Tridem’ tipper chassis.

The Thompsons Group is a big supporter of the annual Harrogate Show as director Simon Shields explains:

We come to Harrogate for three main reasons. First, it’s important that as market leader we support the tipper industry generally. Second we can talk to our customers both individually and collectively to more closely understand how the industry is evolving. Third, we are now seeing the Show as an ideal opportunity to introduce new ideas of our own.

To be able to concentrate all that into three days makes the Show extremely worthwhile!

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