New Bell B30E ADTs strengthen John F Hunt fleet

Bell articulated dumptruck model continues as firm favourite for London demolition specialist

JOHN F Hunt – specialists in demolition, civil engineering, industrial dismantling, remediation, and plant hire – have taken delivery of five new Bell B30E articulated dumptrucks (ADTs), maintaining a long tradition of operating Bell Equipment machinery. 

Renowned for their technical engineering expertise, John F Hunt work on complex construction and regeneration projects using plant predominantly supplied from their internal hire division.

One such project is the regeneration of the former Rugeley Power Station site in Staffordshire, where John F Hunt Regeneration were appointed to undertake the remediation and enabling of the 139-acre site, prior to the construction of a mixed-use development of new homes, business units, a school, community centre and medical facilities.

To successfully undertake the project, the company deployed the recently purchased Bell B30E ADTs to the site, along with two existing Bell B25E machines. The two main areas for bulk material movement were a former coal yard and pulverized fuel ash (PFA) lagoons, which were a mile apart.

Ensuring the efficient hauling of extracted spoil, the Bell dumptrucks were immediately put to work to create a specific haul road to move materials without hindering the remediation operations.

With a full order book of earthmoving projects, the company added three used B30E ADTs to their rental fleet in 2022, which have all been out on hire consistently. In 2021, having been awarded the contract for Rugeley Power Station, John Yeldham, operations director of John F Hunt Plant Hire, decided to continue their long working relationship with Bell Equipment, and chose the ADT manufacturer once again for the work. 

‘Buying Bell dumptrucks again made sense,’ said Mr Yeldham. ‘We know they are modern, robust machines and they have proved themselves over the years. Our long-standing relationship with Bell Equipment and the great aftercare they offer is as important to us as the machines, so there was no compelling reason to change.’

Indeed, the B30Es are particularly suitable for the wide variety of work undertaken by the John F Hunt. The flotation tyres on the Bell ADTs, for example, help to maximise uptime in poor ground conditions, as this is particularly important on remediation sites where the haul roads are challenging and constantly move as the site progresses.

Another key feature of the B30E dumpers is Bell Equipment’s Fleetmatic management system, which allows operators to monitor hours, keep projects on schedule, maintain machine health and lower running costs. 

‘Fleetmatic is a very user-friendly telematics package that enables us to closely monitor the machines,’ commented Mr Yeldham. ‘We use it to assess productivity and to schedule routine maintenance and service, so that we can minimize any downtime.

‘Going forward we foresee more clients requesting data such as idle time, due to soaring fuel prices, and to highlight where further efficiencies can be made. Fleetmatic allows us to give a detailed breakdown very quickly to whatever timescale is required.’

John F Hunt have placed a new order for five further B30Es, which, with their Stage V engines, ensures the company is in a prime position to bid for further projects, particularly in London with its emission free zones.