Mark Royse, head of sales at Mecalac Construction Equipment UK, explores the highways sector’s changing regulatory landscape and explains why manufacturers are investing heavily in next-generation product development to set new standards in safety, efficiency and productivity
When it comes to regulatory change, the highways sector is moving fast. From restrictions regarding tailpipe emissions reduction and requirements to boost technology deployment, to new parameters surrounding safety-critical product design and operation, it’s fair to say that new legislation is driving widespread innovation.
For example, from Spring 2025, all site dumpers used on UK highways (with un unladen weight of more than 4.5 tonnes) will be required to have a production fitted cab – specified to meet ROPS and FOPS ISO 3471 and 3449. This move alone has seen every manufacturer adapt and advance their product offering to ensure absolute compliance.
Like many manufacturers, Mecalac is investing heavily to support the industry – responding quickly to changing needs and working in close partnership with businesses to co-create pioneering solutions. Indeed, we continue to innovate, expanding our portfolio of future-proof equipment to help deliver some of the world’s most ground-breaking projects. From developing safety-critical new products designed to improve visibility and reduce incident statistics, to establishing first-to-market technologies that maximise productivity efficiencies, we’re renowned for pushing the boundaries of technology and implementing the solutions of tomorrow.
Over the past 18 months alone, we’ve revealed some of our most game-changing product innovations. Designed with ease of operation, safety and sustainability in mind, we believe they’ll prove invaluable to construction professionals both in the UK and worldwide – directly tackling the need to do more with less, improve efficiencies and maximise productivity.
Changing the way the industry thinks
The culmination of extensive R&D, first-to-market product innovation and pioneering design advances, our next-generation REVOTRUCK is set to revolutionise the compact equipment sector. Combining a revolving cabbed dumper with off-road trucking capabilities, REVOTRUCK makes material transport smarter and safer than ever before. Thanks to its unique chassis and central oscillation, operators can safely receive a load before rotating the entire cab at the touch of a button to face the direction of travel with no visual obstructions.
The nine-tonne load capacity variant is powered by a Stage V-compliant 74hp Perkins turbocharged engine, delivering 380Nm torque @ 1,380rpm and featuring a DOC and DPF as standard to minimise environmental impact.
Alongside stylish design and state-of-the-art in-cab technology, operators benefit from unrestricted access to all four corners of the cab. This means you can enter and exit the machine quickly and easily, regardless of the position of the operator station. The rotation of the cab gives optimum visibility for the operator reducing downtime for tricky manoeuvres, while three steering modes (2-wheel, 4-wheel and 4-wheel crab) and the tightest turning radius on the market make it the perfect earthmoving solution for tight job sites.
Combining the best of both worlds, REVOTRUCK is a rear dump truck when carrying materials and a highly manoeuvrable site dumper when loading and unloading.
A bright new spark
Alongside safety-critical products like REVOTRUCK, we continue to double-down on our investments in developing environmentally-friendly solutions for the industry of tomorrow. With a strategic commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, as well as cutting the emissions created through the operation of our market-leading compact machinery, we’ve embraced countless innovations to help our customers – and ourselves – along the journey towards net zero.
Recently, we launched the sector’s first zero-emissions range of medium-sized compact equipment. Comprising our 11-tonne excavator (the e12), 1,000-litre swing loader (the es1000) and six-tonne electric site dumper, this new suite of models aims to change operator thinking.
Developed by our highly experienced engineering division, the pioneering models are suitable for a wide range of applications, including infrastructure projects. They show our direction for the future and demonstrate the real-world viability of electric compact equipment.
Looking to the future
Although the industry continues to experience rapid regulatory change and its own set of unique challenges, the opportunity for the future is significant. Investing in the latest equipment technology can help construction professionals to measurably improve their efficiencies, productivity and capabilities, while tackling concerning safety statistics head-on. This is far from a ‘tick box’ exercise; we’re proactively supporting businesses to future-proof their fleets for the construction sector of tomorrow.
