More Thompson tipper bodies for Gallagher

Thompson’s Loadmaster Lite tipper bodies get a rock-solid 10 out of 10 from the Gallagher Group

HAVING operated Thompsons tipper bodies for many years, Kent-based Gallagher Group had little difficulty in once again choosing all-steel Loadmaster Lite bodies for their latest batch of 10 Volvo FMX tippers.

‘Loadmaster Lite really does deliver the goods,’ said Gallagher’s transport manager Maxine Buckby. ‘It’s extremely strong, completely reliable and inherently durable. Whatever we use it for, whatever we carry, there’s never a problem. In turn, maintenance and operating costs are virtually zero, so Loadmaster Lite really does provide an optimum solution for the whole range of our tipping needs.’

Based just outside Aylesford in Kent, over the last 45 years the Gallagher Group have built up an impressive reputation as one of the South East’s premier quarrying, civil engineering, building and property development businesses.

With aggregates at the heart of the business, the company’s two quarries near the M20 motorway supply more than 70 different products from primary and recycled aggregates through to block stone and topsoil. Of particular interest, Gallagher is the last remaining company still quarrying Kentish Ragstone, a hard, grey, sandy limestone that gives many buildings in Kent their own unique character.

To move all their quarry products, the Gallagher tipper fleet’s standard 8x4 specification is built on Volvo FMX chassis, Thompsons Loadmaster Lite steel bodies and Binotto front-end tipping cylinders. To demonstrate the everyday versatility of their tipper operation, Gallagher’s trucks can work out of the quarries carrying fine sand or aggregates, then return with various types of inert waste for landfill.

Being able to successfully work across many varied applications has made Loadmaster Lite not just a winner for Gallagher, but also for a whole host of tipper operators across the UK. 

A lightweight, single-skinned design, Loadmaster Lite typically affords a competitive 19-tonne payload when fitted to the majority of today’s premium-spec 8x4 tipper chassis. According to Thompsons, such is its popularity across the tipping industry that Loadmaster Lite has been the UK’s top-selling tipper body for over a decade.

Acquiring their first Loadmaster bodies back in the 1990s, Gallagher also appreciate that their smooth, modern design also offers a general ease of use and upkeep. ‘Specifically, their smooth body sides are ideal both for carrying our livery and for keeping the trucks clean and looking smart,’ said Ms Buckby.

‘In our industry, standards of image and presentation are particularly important, and we make great effort to present ourselves to our clients and local communities in the most professional and attractive ways as possible. We were also pleased that Thompsons and their sister company Charlton were also able to undertake the complete painting of our new tippers, not just for their bodies but the chassis and cabs as well.

‘Whichever way you look at it, whether for their design, performance or whole-life economy, Thompsons bodies really do get a rock solid 10 out of 10.’

Scott Burton, joint managing director of Thompsons, added: ‘The Gallagher Group are one of our longest-standing customers, and we are naturally delighted to have been able deliver another 10 new tippers to them. A hugely impressive business, few companies better illustrate the benefits of running highly efficient, supremely versatile tippers built around our Loadmaster Lite bodywork.’