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"It was originally delivered with the wrong specification."
Page 32
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Dawn Charlton
In Dawn Charlton has been working as an HGV driver for three years alongside her husband Paul. He has been in the haulage business for 13 years and runs four trucks. One is a Foden Alpha 8x4 with the Cat Cm engine; the other three are ERFs, including an ECH 340 6x4 and an ECio 6x4.
When Charlton first began driving she drove an F-reg Seddon Atkinson fourwheeler, working part-time. But she soon decided to go full-time and needed a new vehicle.
They sold the Seddon Atkinson and bought a new 4x2 ERF ES6 so she could join her husband, who works mainly for Hanson Aggregates out of the Wheatley Quarry near Frame, which is said to be the largest limestone quarry in Europe.
"We decided to buy the ES6 after taking a test drive in the new-generation ES8 sixwheeler," she says. "We thought that the price of L34,00 o for the 215hp 4.0m-wheelbase chassis-cab with an Eminox vertical exhaust and external sun visor was good. That was the same price as the Daf and we did not want to pay any more.
"It arrived in January this year, three months late, from the main dealer, SA Trucks at Avonmouth.
"It was originally delivered with the wrong specification. It had a 3.8m wheelbase and the chassis was fitted with skip. loader rails. It had to go back. We ordered blue to match our livery. It was supplied white and we had to pay the signwriter for his time when it didn't arrive when promised.
"Paul transferred the refurbished insulated alloy tipping body from the Seddon Atkinson and fitted new tipping gear. We can carry 11.82 tonnes and could make 12 tonnes if we fitted alloy wheels. In the past eight months the truck has covered 62,000 km. We cover a radius of about i5o miles but deliver a lot along the South Coast. We pick up return loads of sand so we are loaded for about 75% of the time. Fuel consumption varies between about it and i3mpg depending on the load and terrain.
"With the 235hp engine the ES6 is a real flying machine. Mine is the 215hp version and the power is still more than adequate. Unladen I am glad of the suspension seat because it gives a rough ride, but it improves a lot with the load.
"I like the narrow cab but the styling could be improved inside. It is very basic but that suits the tipping environment. We have had to change the mirrors—the standard mountings are ridiculously wide and they vibrate, especially when reversing.
"It's not that well made. The brakes kept pulling to one side; it turned out that ERF had fitted Wedgemaster brakes. We wanted cam brakes as fitted to our other ERFs so it went back to the factory and it has been perfect since it came back. "The steering pulled to the right, as it had not been tracked properly. I don't think the PDI was up to much. We have our own workshops so Paul does most of the maintenance."
Although Charlton says the company's experience with the main dealer, 36 miles away, has been less than ideal, "we have a good service agent, Mike Aven Commercials, who is located at Westbury just t5 miles away. It is because of the service he has given us in the past that we run ERFs today.
"We put ERF's 24-hour VOR service tc the test when we needed a steering box fo the ECro. They failed to deliver and we clic get it free.
"More recently there have been othe occasions when we have not been able to ge some parts. Unless they can get that right doubt that we will be buying ERFs in th. future."