"The engine is strong and
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just built for this game'jJack Byne
Jack Byne Haulage has been operating in the Watford area for the past 13 years, and has recently moved into new premises on the edge of town.
Jack Byne, owner of the company, says: "We specialise in muckaway with some aggregate work, and over the past few years I have increased the size of the fleet to 18 trucks. They are a mixed bag of Fodens, MANs, Mercs and Oafs. Our first new truck was an R-reg Renault Kerax 340 8x4, and we have five now. They followed on behind two Maxters that we bought secondhand and are still running today.
"Our operation is mostly within a 30-mile radius. We load up in London and the surrounding area, but the weather this winter has been so wet that we have had to travel further afield to find landfill sites that are not bogged down. Even some of the local quarries are flooded.
"The Kerax is built for muckaway operation. It is a bit on the heavy side—with a 14m3 steel body, we weigh in at 13 tonnes empty. We bought two MANs last year because they were doing a good deal with their Triple A service package, but I still favour the Renault.
"We buy them outright, and have a guaranteed buy-back after three years if we want to take it up. We do about 80,000km a year, and all indications are that they will prove reliable for longer so our aim is to keep them about four years and then trade them.
"We have been looking at contract maintenance, but we still do our own. It is an easy truck to work on. All our trucks are fitted with Autolube, and it pays off. We've just replaced the kingpins on one of our Maxters, which is now six years old. A lot of our running is in traffic, around town, so brake wear is high. We replace the linings all round twice a year, but tyres are one of our major costs after fuel. The trucks are always loaded but still return about 6.5mpg. The engine is strong and just built for this game.
"There have been a couple of minor problems with water pumps but they were replaced under warranty. Renault Chiltern has been very helpful. Clutches normally last us about three years—when one started to slip three months after being replaced they sorted the problem straight away. All the Keraxes are on steel suspensions, but we haven't had a broken spring on any of the Renaults.
"Our drivers like them. The Kerax cab is bigger than the Maxter's, so there's more space to stow wet weather gear. The chassis is very sturdy. The ground clearance, engine torque and traction make it a good vehicle to take on to a tip."