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Rolling stock: Tippers
Page 72
Page 73
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At 32 tonnes GM, eight-leggers are the chassis of choice for almost every muckaway outfit and the nation's sand and gravel operators. But what should buyers look for on the used market?
Scour the used market for quality tippers and the chances are you will come up short. Any operator running them will know the lead-time on a new product before selling their current fleet and with times increasing,owners are clinging on to their vehicles.
The construction trade is still going strong and this underpins a vibrant market. New sales are outgunning used sales by three units to two. On top of this, exports are taking off as legislation in countries such as Cyprus, where chassis alteration is banned, means that an increasing number of secondhand vehicles are heading abroad.
National statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveals that last year the 8x4 tipper market dropped 8% to 1,925 vehicles sold new.
Senior forecast manager for Cap Monitor John Watts suggests that, overall, there is a 10% better value retention in an 8x4 tipper compared to a tractive unit.This is because of reduced volumes, fewer 8x4 chassis cabs in the production line, and the bespoke nature of each vehicle to each operator.
No manufacturer offers a one-stop-shop when it comes to tippers everything is shipped off to body builders.
As an operator you are more likely to have to buy new to meet your needs rather than scour the used market for a cheaper and viable alternative. Where operators might once have looked at replacing fleets at fourand fiveyears old . many are now hanging on for seven years before replenishing: in theory saving more money before eventually trading in for new, and off-loading at very decent prices.
Wiltshire-based earthmoving and bulk excavation firm Earthline runs a fleet of 44 tippers predominantly eight-wheelers, but with some six and four-wheelers.
Cutting costs "Buy-backs,residuals and warranty are key in today's business," says Earthline's general manager Paul Carpenter. "But we now choose to lease our trucks over a three-year period and specify that all equipment must have an R&M package, which has contributed to reducing our operating costs."
Having opted for greater horsepower from 320-380hp in recent years he reckons there has been no trade-off in fuel.
"The bigger engines seem to work easily," he says. "As a result, we're still seeing fuel returns of 11 and 13mpg on longer trips now we're up to 380hp, with most trucks running between 150-200,000kms per year. But opting for 403hp is probably over-spec."
Carpenter has particular praise for the local Scania dealer. "Southway at Swindon is excellent," he says. "The trucks are often maintained and repaired overnight when not in use,so we suffer only the minimum of downtime it means we can get the best use out of our equipment.
"In my opinion, Oafs CF85 is the best tipper on the market, although products also need good local back up and support.We now have mostly Scanias."
The Earthline fleet includes 29 Scania 380hp 114 eight-wheelers, two Scania 340hp 114 sixwheelers, five Daf CF85 340/360hp eightwheelers, one Daf CF75 310hp six-wheeler, one Daf CF65 280hp four-wheeler, and four Renault Kerax 370hp eight-wheelers.
"We have tried Renault Kerax, but they just couldn't stick the punishment in our environment," says Carpenter. "We found ours were good for two years, then the gearboxes tended to fail, leaving us with a £3.500 repair bill. Fortunately, we've only got four left on the fleet.
'And we had no luck withMAN, either." he adds"Water pumps,clutches and engines seemed to be the biggest areas for concern there," One of the steps the firm is taking to encourage more productive operation among its fleet and perhaps improve utilisation — or at least reduce costs — is in the fitting of a Siemens data tracking system to monitor the truck fleet.
"We burn over 45,000 litres of white diesel each week,so it's important to know that our trucks are earning their keep, and not just idling away in a lay-by or on extended breaks," he adds.
Switched affections
Wooldridge Demolition, based at Bagshot, Surrey, has recently switched from Iveco 340 E34 Eurotrakker to MAN's, as the firm looked to improve fuel economy and enhance operator appeal.
The nature of the business means the 23truck fleet of eight-wheelers spends its time in on and off-road applications carrying all types of construction related materials.
Wooldridge Demolition's director Nick Anderson says the change of marque has brought improved driver satisfaction and slightly improved fuel economy.
Most of Wooldridge's tipper fleet are FE35360s, though there are some higherpowered FE35 .410s in use. "We're finding that the MANs are proving more cost-effective to run, and downtime solar has been virtually non-existent," he adds. "It's another important aspect for us to consider, when we're covering over 90,000km each year."
Fuel is under close scrutiny, but so far, says the firm, 360s are returning 6.14 mpg and 410s 5.7 mpg, but most journeys are short — typically just a few miles. Payloads are averaging 18,500kg, and Anderson reckons performance is strong thanks to high torque engines.
"We're looking for reliability, longevity and good residual values from our trucks," he says. "The last thing we want is for tippers to be holding up expensive, high performance plant and machinery."
The firm specified Thompson Loadmaster bodies with under-floor tipping gear and takes new bodies with each new chassis.
Anderson adds that the firm has been running MAN trucks for only about a year now, and while most will be replaced at three years old,it is the firm's intention to run a small number for four or five years to assess their performance and costs over an extended period.
"We have to make sure that we've made the right choice and that we can get adequate service life from our tippers without incurring additional unwanted costs," he says.
Drivers are said to like the robustness of the truck and its off-road ability, though they dislike the nearside blind-spot caused by the cab's A-post blocking the mirror. •