Strato's put out to glass
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• A glass carrier is taking on the first 17.28L Seddon Atkinson Strato tractive unit to be stretched and fitted with a lifting mid axle.
The conversion from 4x2 to 6x2 will avoid axle overloading problems. South Manchesterbased Wright & Offland opted for the 205kW (275hp) tractor, rather than a conventional ri id, so that it could have the extra axle placed where it wanted.
"Because we're loading glass, we can be a few inches out and be axle overloaded," explains Wright & Offland's transport manager Barry Cowdery. "By stretching the chassis we could put the axles where we wanted to suit our crane, which is mounted on the rear." The combined plated weights of the three axles also gives a higher gross weight than the permitted 24 tonnes, but this gives some leeway with load distribution.
The non-steer Phoenix mid axle is rated at 8.0 tonnes; the front at 7.1 tonnes, and the rear drive axle at 10.5 tonnes.
The chassis conversion was carried out by Mid Cheshire Commercials in Middlewich, and a flatbed body which has a Hiab 160 crane, fitted by Manchester-based Alloy Bodies. The vehicle was supplied by Seddon Atkinson dealer Ryland North West in Warrington.
Cowdery believes there are other advantages the stretched tractive unit has over a factorybuilt rigid: "We often run home empty, so the lifting axle comes in handy."
The company, which runs eight vehicles, had to shop around for the right vehicle: "We put the spec out and a lot of people said it could not be done," says Cowdery. "Seddon Atkinson came up with the goods."