WEST Calder-based civils and groundworks specialist, Mulholland Contracts, has taken delivery of a bespoke plant body and step-frame trailer from Andover Trailers.
The deal extends a near 20-year business relationship between the two firms. After initially specifying two ‘very similar’ builds from Andover in 2004, these were replaced in 2013, before that pair made way for this latest delivery.
The new plant body is mounted to a 26-tonne Volvo FM 380 6×2 chassis, and along with the tri-axle, 60-tonne step frame trailer, join a Volvo FM 500 tractor unit and two MAN tippers in the company’s commercial vehicle fleet.
Andover explained that one of the changes Mulholland has opted for on the latest plant body is a double crank beavertail to provide shallower access to the deck via a pair of 2.5m long cheese wedge ramps, allowing the vehicle to be used as a flat bed when required, whilst also offering reduced drag and deliver ‘impressive’ fuel savings.
The new body also features Andover Trailers’ low-profile deck. The deck contains six pairs of lashing points, with further lashing loops under the side rave to maximise the range of plant it can carry.
Mulholland Contracts has also specified a 5-tonne hydraulic winch and Palfinger crane mounted behind the cab, capable of lifting 8.9-tonnes. This allows for the loading of building materials and concrete blocks as well as various types of plant.
Andover revealed the new 13.4m step frame trailer is constructed with a four-member design for added strength. The 1m-wide, 4m-long hydraulic flip toe ramps are said to allow for the ‘easy’ loading and unloading of a range of heavy machinery.
Specified with 19.5-inch wheels on BPW axles, the trailer can also lift the rear axle when required. The step frame features a 6-tonne electric winch, 11 pairs of lashing points and safety features including slide-out wide load marker boards, additional reverse safety lamps, LED strobes, and working from height system.
Alan Bingham of Mulholland Contracts said, “As soon as we received our first Andover builds, we could see why they had such a good reputation in the marketplace. The first two, and the pair that subsequently replaced them, never missed a beat, so the decision to return to Andover for our latest truck and trailer order was a simple one.
“The team at Andover has always bent over backwards to accommodate any request we’ve made when it comes to tweaking the specification of either build – nothing is too much trouble and that’s a huge positive from our side.”
Both the plant body and trailer will operate six days a week delivering to building sites across central Scotland. Clocking up to 80,000 miles a year, they are expected to stay in Mulholland Contract’s fleet for around six years.
