New Volvo excavators for H&S Contractors

Plant hire firm strengthening earthmoving fleet with the addition of 40-tonne EC380E machines 

H&S Contractors Ltd of Kingsnorth, Hoo, in Kent, are continuing to add Volvo Construction Equipment products to their plant portfolio, following the purchase of a 25-tonne L150H wheel loader late last year for their hire fleet.

Established in 1972, H&S Contractors Ltd specialize in operated and non-operated hire of medium-sized plant from 20 tonnes upward, including loading shovels, excavators and articulated haulers.

Since purchasing their first L150H wheel loader late last year, the company has acquired a second unit and also added a 40-tonne Volvo EC380E excavator, to replace a competitive model.

‘We had a need to replace one of our 40-tonne excavators for a specific contract with a long-standing client, extracting sand and carrying out overburden removal,’ explained plant manager Keith Rogers.

‘Part of the operation involves digging straight from the bank and the sandstone strata in this particular quarry is extremely tough to penetrate, so we were looking for a machine that could handle this without the need for additional ripping.’

A subsequent demonstration of the Volvo EC380E was arranged. ‘We were very impressed with the performance of the machine and its ability to extract the material without the need for additional ripping. It’s very well balanced and has plenty of power compared with the machine it replaces, and is certainly a major improvement on the older Volvo EC360C machine we have in the fleet,’ he continued.

The EC380E unit has impressed H&S Contractors so much that they have ordered a second machine for delivery in the New Year. ‘Historically, we have run and continue to operate Volvo A25E and A25F models, adding a further two new A30Gs and the loading shovel last year,’ said Mr Rogers. 

‘Knowing the reliability and performance of the trucks, coupled with Volvo’s ability to support the product, provided us with the confidence to widen our scope to include the EC380E excavators.’

Powered by a six-cylinder Volvo engine (Stage IV emissions-compliant) developing 306hp, the EC380E is said to offer the latest in engine technology and operating sophistication. 

The excavator’s all-round visibility from the Volvo Care Cab is enhanced by pressurized and filtered air supplied by a 14-vent, climate-control system, whilst an adjustable, easy-to-read LCD colour monitor provides real-time information of the machine functions/diagnostics and a wide variety of work tool settings. 

The EC380E is fitted with Volvo’s CareTrack telematics system as standard, allowing remote monitoring of a wide range of machine functions (location, fuel consumption, service reminders etc), to help optimize customer operations. 

‘Since 80% of our total fleet is generally out on non-operated hire, a feature like CareTrack is important as it helps us monitor the usage of the machines in terms of hours operated and their locations,’ commented Mr Rogers. 

In addition, the machines are covered by Volvo’s Blue Service Agreement, which will ensure that they are regularly maintained by qualified Volvo service engineers using genuine Volvo parts at the correct service intervals, irrespective of where they might be operating in the country.