IVECO Stralis X-WAY tips the balance

Devon-based Jeremy Bishop Haulage expand fleet with new IVECO Stralis X-WAY 8x4 and 6x4 tippers

TOTNES-based Jeremy Bishop Haulage have doubled their IVECO fleet by taking delivery of two Stralis X-WAY 26-tonne 6x4 tippers with Active Day (AD) cabs.

Powered by the Cursor 11 420hp diesel mated to a 12-speed Hi-Tronix automatic transmission, the two 6x4s join two 480hp Cursor 11 Stralis X-WAY 32-tonne 8x4 AD-cab tippers which were delivered to the operator last May.

After first meeting supplying dealers Hendy Van & Truck of Chandlers Ford at the Royal Cornwall show, managing director Jeremy Bishop’s drivers spent a week behind the wheel of a Stralis X-WAY 8x4 tipper demonstrator putting it through its paces. He says they found it to be exceptionally quiet with first-class off-road grip and a tight turning circle that provided excellent manoeuvrability.

With his trucks travelling along the tight country lanes of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, as well as working off road in quarries, construction and landfill sites, manoeuvrability is key to Mr Bishop. Top of his priority list, however, is payload, which is 15,000kg on the 6x4s, and 19,500kg on the 8x4s, both of which are said to be best in class.

‘The X-WAY provides me with more than one tonne extra of payload compared with other tippers. The chassis is strong and light, and our drivers have never been stuck, despite the demanding conditions our vehicles constantly find themselves in,’ he explained.

Mr Bishop’s fleet of 18 vehicles spend a high percentage of their time off road. A journey could start with a tipper collecting waste from a customer demolition or construction site anywhere in the South West and delivering it to the company’s quarry where the aggregate is meticulously recycled and graded ready for resale.

The trucks also make regular trips to landfill sites, which can be slippery and deeply rutted in the winter.  Each Stralis X-WAY has, therefore, been specified with the off-road set-up, which includes uprated front axle and front suspension, higher front ground clearance and a steel bumper.

Jeremy Bishop and his son Will started planning their truck fleet renewal process in 2019 after spending close to £2 million updating all of the quarrying machinery at the family’s 12-acre Lee Mill Quarry.

The trucks have been purchased outright complete with a comprehensive five-year Elements 3XL repair and maintenance contract, which covers all maintenance except for tyres. Over five years, Mr Bishop anticipates each truck covering around 70,000km per annum

‘The repair and maintenance package provides me with extra peace of mind. The trucks work in some challenging environments and I know all I have to budget for, over and above the monthly contract, is the costs of tyres, fuel and insurance. That makes total cost of ownership budgeting much easier, which is important now the economy has been more unpredictable due to Covid,’ said Mr Bishop.

Hendy Van & Truck’s service levels are a major reason why Jeremy Bishop Haulage have continued to replace their fleet with IVECO trucks, and the closest servicing facility is just a mile away, thereby keeping vehicle downtime to an absolute minimum.

‘The Hendy team is very knowledgeable and genuinely interested in specifying trucks that will help run my business more efficiently, said Mr Bishop. ‘That’s why we went for the 6x4 configuration this time, as it allows my drivers to gain access to restricted sites without a problem. We’ve got all avenues covered now with the 6x4 and 8x4 configurations.’

Gareth Lumsdaine, IVECO’s heavy business-line director, said: ‘Generally, when we get an X-WAY tipper into an operator on test for a week or two, they normally put it on their choice list due to its total operating costs and generous payload.

‘We are pleased to see Jeremy expanding his fleet with both 6x4s and 8x4s to cover off all requirements for his operation. The Stralis X-WAY is built to do some hard graft and Jeremy’s operation is no exception, with the trucks working as much time off road as on road.’

Kent body builders Charlton Bodies built the Taperlite steel tipper bodies featuring Edbro tipping gear and an on-board weighing system, and each truck has been specified with an automated sheeting system to keep loads in check.