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Awkward customer

2nd November 1995
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Page 44, 2nd November 1995 — Awkward customer
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

And that's what Buttersfields Recovery of Colney Heath, Hertfordshire has done.

Built by King Trailers of Market Harborough, Leics, Butterfield's latest and most advanced piece of kit has been in service since February alongside his fleet of more conventional rigid recovery rigs. It's a triaxle with a capacity of around 20 tonnes and a deck length of approximately 10.6 metres. It has a front-mounted tilting mechanism which allows the angle of the deck to be increased to make unloading easier. The front axle lifts, which reduces tyre wear.

Why go to King? "I read an article in Commercial Motor about a tandem-axle trailer they'd built to move aero engines at Heathrow," says Butterfield. "That also featured a hydraulically tilting neck, and that impressed me."

The hydraulics on Butterfield's trailer are powered by an electric-start Lister donkey engine. It also powers the 30-tonne/metre crane and the Ramsey winch.

Four stabilisers—two at the front, two half-way along—can be lowered when the crane is in operation,

"It allows you to pull up alongside, say, a burnt-out tractor unit, and lift it on board," he says. It also makes it easy to pick up timber and pipes in a situation where a truck has shed its load, and lift them on to a flatbed trailer,"

The crane was removed from a Seddon Atkinson which had reached the end of its working life, and was fitted by a friend of Butterfield's in Bishop's Stortford. "King was consulted because of the stress it places on the chassis," says Butterfield.

The trailer runs on air suspension, which means it can be raised and lowered.

It's not the first recovery trailer of its size that Butterfield has operated. "I had an idea for a trailer of this type as long ago as 1980, and I talked to a number of manufacturers about building it," he explains. "Eventually, in 1983, I had one constructed by Fromant, all steel but with wooden centre decking. In fact I've only just got rid of it.

"It was a 12-wheel triaxle trailer running of business. He also transports veteran cars and trucks to and from television and film sets, as well as ultra-long American limousines and even racing cars.

For this he uses an air-suspended triaxle semi-tTailer which can be loaded through the rear, by backing it up to a loading bay, or from the ground through the front, by lowering the hydraulically powered landing legs.

"If we didn't have that facility we would have to have very long ramps to achieve an acceptable loading angle," he says.

Fitted with a winch and a donkey engine, it has a Tilt Tech curtainsided body with a sliding roof. The trailer frame and running gear are Crane Fruehauf, and it has a lifting front axle.

It's also used to assist in recovery work. "Far example, we were called out to recover a trailer with its wheels and tyres burned out due to a hub fire," says Butterfield. "It was laden with 20 tonnes of flour, and we were able to offload the cargo on to our curtainsider, and deliver it to the customer."

Colncy Heath and Butterfield's second depot, just up the road at London Colney, are both close to the Ml, M25, M10, and MM. Consequently his trucks and drivers spend a lot of time rescuing vehicles stranded on these busy routes, and Butterfield is well aware that working at the side of the motorway can be extremely dangerous.

"By the time you've got out of the cab and gone to the casualty, a car that was a mile away when you stopped and is travelling at 60mph is going to be on top of you. Sure, flashing beacons and reflective jackets help, but not if the oncoming driver has been distracted, or has nodded off," he says.

His vehicles operate all over the country, however. and make regular forays on to the Continent.

"Most truck operators on Continental work prefer to recover vehicles to their own workshops, or to an independent workshop or dealership local to them, wherever possible. We've been as far as Madrid to bring back a tractor unit with an engine fault," Butterfield says. "British operators don't seem to have much faith in Continental repairers."

He works regularly and has a sound relationship with National Breakdown and for all the motoring clubs apart from the AA on car recovery, and the RAC for all types of work. "We had disagreements with the RAC some years back, but that's pretty common," he claims Recovery operators' margins continue to be squeezed by escalating overheads. "You're constantly monitoring fuel prices and insurance premiums, and rising costs in general," he explains.

So what does Buuterfield think about the way recovery vehicles are treated for Vehicle Excise Duty purposes? Not surprisingly, he's deeply unhappy about the way rates have been increased.

"After all, if we tow a coach or a truck in, that vehicle has already paid a substantial amount of VED Our charges have to reflect the VED increases we have suffered, so in effect the vehicle's owner is paying VED again," he says. "And I don't think

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Locations: Madrid

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