Thompsons has introduced a major upgrade to its range – leading heavy duty Loadmaster tipper body. From now on, this super – tough, double – skinned design is being built without front cornerposts. And the first 40 such examples are going to London – based Cappagh.
Thompsons Joint Managing Director Scott Burton says
“Loadmaster was first introduced 25 years ago, and its reputation for reliability and durability in the most arduous conditions is simply unequalled. The original double – skinned design featured cornerposts front and rear to provide the maximum possible strength and rigidity. Today though, thanks to ever higher material quality and our more advanced production processes, we are introducing a revised design offering exactly the same performance, but without the front cornerposts.
Aside from saving a valuable 100kgs in weight this new, simpler, design is also easier and faster to build, thereby boosting our factory productivity. So this latest Loadmaster benefits everyone.”
Significantly, Wimbledon – based Cappagh is now taking the first 40 examples of this latest Loadmaster, 25 being standard front – end tippers with the remaining 15 specified as tipper grabs. Notable too is that Cappagh was also one of the very first customers of the original Loadmaster when it was launched in the mid 1990’s.
Incorporated in 1973, family – owned Cappagh is one of the tipper industry’s major success stories, the company now working across 14 sites located not just within London but also in a triangle between Oxford in the west, Portsmouth in the south and Maidstone in the East.
Principally engaged in utilities, highways, demolition, aggregates, recycling, muckaway and land restoration, Cappagh needs its tippers to be fully on top of every job that comes along. In meeting this demand, Thompsons tipper bodies have played a key role in the company’s development as Conor Ferncombe, grandson of the founder, explains:
“Since its inception, Thompsons’ Loadmaster has been the ‘go – to’ tipper body, the reference point for everything a tipper body should be. Cappagh has been a Loadmaster user right from when it was launched, and by occasionally trying other makes of body, we inevitably come back to Loadmaster simply because it’s the best tipper there is. There are no jobs it cannot handle, and for a highly varied work portfolio such as ours we absolutely need the everyday versatility that Loadmaster provides.
With tippers, you have to remember that it’s the body that does the really hard work, taking the thumps and knocks when loading and all the abrasion when tipping. So reliability is the key. And when we finally sell the truck on, having a Loadmaster body really does guarantee we achieve the best possible residual value. This latest Loadmaster simply takes the story another stage forward.”
As befits the company’s highly valued FORS Gold accreditation, Cappagh’s new Loadmasters introduce further advances too, particularly in regard to safety. For their drivers, all vehicles are now fitted with cab-operated tailgates as well as in-cab, on-screen viewing of the exterior camera images that cover the full 360 degrees around the truck. In addition to nearside and offside warning panels and ‘Sidescan’ audible proximity alerts, Thompsons has also fitted front and rear strobe lights as well as flashing indicator lights that run down the length of the bodies.
Scott added:
“Thompsons and Cappagh have a shared interest in producing the safest tippers we can, these latest 40 examples being clear evidence of our joint commitment.”
