First Volvo trucks for Walsh

London-based contractor orders 40 new FMX 8x4 tippers from MC Truck & Bus

CONSTRUCTION services firm Walsh have taken delivery of their first-ever Volvo trucks as part of a recent order for 40 FMX 8x4 tippers. One of the key contributing factors to purchasing the new fleet of Volvos from MC Truck & Bus was the Thurrock-based dealer’s willingness to provide on-site repair and maintenance support at Walsh’s new facility in Rainham, Essex.

Tim Wheeler, director of Walsh, said: ‘MC Truck & Bus showed themselves to be very forward thinking and open to our ideas. This proactive approach will help us to meet our business goals while giving us confidence in terms of compliance. It will also benefit drivers’ hours as our headquarters will, in effect, be our dealer workshop, so no time or resource will be required to travel to or from Thurrock.’

According to Mr Wheeler, initial reactions from the drivers of the 32-tonne gvw Volvo trucks have been very positive. ‘They really like them,’ he said. ‘Our overall fleet has now increased to 100 trucks and all of our operators now come to work wanting to drive one of the 410hp Volvo FMX trucks.’

All the new trucks will be fitted with Fruehauf Load-Lite tipper bodywork, Brigade 5 camera systems, low-level nearside windows, side-scan kits and audible left-turn alerts.

Mr Wheeler explained: ‘We take safety extremely seriously and these new Volvo tippers represent another advance in safe operation, with superb all-round visibility that is further enhanced by an innovative mirror system. The trucks meet Crossrail compliance and we are FORS Gold accredited and CLOCS champions too.’

While safety understandably sits at the top of Walsh’s agenda, when it came to specifying the new FMX trucks a total cost of ownership calculation also had to be factored in.

‘We have a strategic plan that includes further investment in our transport operation, growing the fleet to 200 trucks and adding new operating centres to support HS2, Crossrail 2, the Thames Tideway Tunnel and other major schemes in the Greater London area, which will involve considerable further investment,’ said Mr Wheeler.

‘With any investment, we always conduct a total cost of ownership analysis and, in this case, if you consider the whole life of the truck, Volvo stand out as offering the best value.’

For Walsh, value also comes in the shape of the Fruehauf Load-Lite bodies with Hyva tipping gears. ‘Fruehauf has been very supportive in terms of delivery times and build quality,’ added Mr Wheeler. ‘With these particular bodies, we’ve worked together in their development – altering the wheel arches to give clearance when tipping and upgrading the side lights to make them more resilient to the rigours of the job.

‘We have also had twist locks fitted to the tailgates for those occasions when we carry loose material. And thanks to the Hardox-manufactured body, we benefit from 500kg weight saving on each vehicle without any loss of integrity or strength.’