Fuel-efficient Cat 966 XE loaders for FCC Environment
Finning deliver big fuel savings and product support to waste-recycling operator
WASTE-management firm FCC Environment have invested in a fleet of Caterpillar 966 XE wheel loaders from Finning UK & Ireland after a trial revealed an annual fuel saving of more than £11,000 per machine.
Bill Stone, group plant manager at FCC Environment, cited the wraparound support and weekly analysis of the fuel usage data provided by Finning as major factors in the decision to purchase the machines.
The data showed that over a six-month period, the Cat 966 XE units had achieved fuel savings of around 29%. The Finning team held weekly conference calls with FCC to help them interpret the data provided through the Cat VisionLink software, which monitors machine health.
Based on the fuel savings achieved, Finning calculated that over a seven-year lifecycle, and with a standard repair and maintenance warranty programme, the machines would collectively deliver savings of more than £250,000 to FCC.
Mr Stone commented: ‘On average we order around 11 new Cat machines from Finning every year and always buy with full repair and maintenance contracts because it provides complete peace of mind that if there are any issues, they will be dealt with swiftly by Finning.
‘For me, it’s the product support that’s a major consideration when buying a new machine. What matters most is that if there’s an issue with a machine – I can rely on Finning to respond within four hours. We have 500 items of plant so it's vital that we have this reassurance to limit any machine downtime.
“All manufacturers say that their machine is the best in class for fuel. We decided to put Finning to the test on its claim of between 20-30% savings and compared the three new Cat 966 XE wheel loaders against our current Cat 960s and worked out their average litres per hour. We were delighted to see fuel savings of 29%, so they’ve more than exceeded expectations.’
Mr Stone added: ‘This fuel saving is crucial. The switch from red to white diesel saw everyone’s fuel costs double, and when you’re paying £1.05 a litre that’s an £11,000 saving per machine. With the cost of fuel expected to continue to rise, we estimate that by the seventh year, the savings will probably be closer to £13,000 per machine.’
The Cat XE wheel loader range is a premium offering across multiple machine classes designed to improve system efficiencies and offer greater precision through enhanced design, inbuilt software, and systems. Over the years, Finning have supplied more than 150 Caterpillar machines to FCC because of their reliability and fuel efficiency.
Jonathan Davies, industry manager of industrial and waste and paving at Finning, said: ‘FCC went through a lot of analysis to see what the XE [loaders] could deliver to their business and the fuel savings provided a compelling case to buy three new Cat 966 XE wheel loaders. The XE is a machine with all the latest technology and a much more efficient powertrain.
‘We have a great working relationship with FCC, which allows us to support them proactively and help them to get the best out of their assets and maximize their site productivity.’
