Perhaps more so than with any other type of truck, tipper operators really do know precisely what they want from their vehicles and, in turn, choose their specifications very carefully.
For its latest tipper grab truck, Glasgow operator About Grab Hire UK Ltd has gone out – and – out to acquire a vehicle that delivers an optimum combination of performance and payload. As a result, his new vehicle has been fitted with the first Thompsons X – Lite Loadmaster body to be built in Scotland.
Company boss John Martin says:
“My other three vehicles all have Loadmaster bodies, so there’s no question about Thompsons quality and reliability. With the latest X – Lite, they’ve gone another stage further with a weight saving of around 260kgs over their current Loadmaster Lite, and almost half a tonne over the heavy duty, double – skinned Loadmaster. Yet thanks to X – Lite’s construction from Hardox 500 steel, there’s no loss in strength or durability. In fact, there’s even more.
In our job, where trucks are inevitably on the heavy side, the new X – Lite is a game – changer.”
Taking the standard Loadmaster Lite design, the higher strength of Hardox 500 means that the tipper body’s floor and sides can now be reduced in thickness by 1mm to 4mm and 3mm respectively, thereby producing a weight saving of the main bodywork panels in the order of 20%.
Principally providing services to the building and landscaping industries, About Grab Hire’s tippers rarely have two working days the same. This means that the trucks have to able to handle any job that comes along, with equal standards of performance and reliability. For the chassis, John Martin chose a 450hp R cab Scania, the final spec being completed with an Epsilon crane and HARSH’s high stability underfloor tipping gear. The truck’s lucky driver also gets cab air conditioning and full leather trim too.
Despite its particularly high specification, the unladen weight of the new truck is 16,800kgs – with all other tippers in the company being over 17,100 kgs.
Starting his business in 2006 with a single skiploader, ever – increasing landfill taxes and a heavy recession made John realise that there was much greater potential in operating tippers, and particularly with the additional opportunities offered by grab hire work. That sound and practical business approach has brought About Grab Hire to where it is today, working both throughout the Central Belt and further afield.
Speaking for Thompsons Tippers Scotland, Sales Manager David Craig says:
“We’re very proud to have built our first X – Lite body for John. Like him, we think X – Lite will be one of the key products in our range. John is also representative of many of our customers who appreciate that Thompsons is now a fully native Scottish tipper manufacturer, and are therefore pleased to support us and work with us. And besides selling new bodies, we can also offer Scotland’s tipper operators unmatched after – sales parts and service support as well.”
John Martin’s final verdict on his new Thompsons tipper?
“Just About Perfect!”