Thompson Loadmaster tipper body for Metcalfe Plant

Recycling contractor chooses Loadmaster units for strength, durability and high-carrying capacity

IN renewing their tipper fleet, Metcalfe Plant of Penrith have recently invested in a pair of Thompsons Loadmaster bodies, each of which have a specification finely tuned to a particular type of work.

For general purpose tipping, the Loadmaster Lite fits the bill perfectly. All steel in its construction, the single skinned body offers a perfect combination of strength, durability and high-carrying capacity.

‘We chose this version of Loadmaster for general, mixed traffic tipping, where loads are typically muck, stone and crushed recycled materials,’ said company owner Tony Metcalfe. ‘However, we needed an even stronger body for our heavy work, such as site work and demolition. For these jobs, it had to be Loadmaster in full spec - nothing else would really do.’

The key differences of the maximum specification Loadmaster over the Lite model are that it has an extra, full-length internal steel skin and is built with the addition of two front corner posts. However, the Metcalfe specification goes a stage further still by including Thompsons latest ‘dual purpose’ tailgate that allows the easy discharge of any type of load.

‘By developing a very clever tailgate design that combines a conventional top hinged arrangement with an alternative ‘wide-open’ barn door system, Thompsons have given us a body offering the greatest possible operating versatility,’ said Mr Metcalfe.

‘Heavy, bulky loads such as demolition spoil, concrete and wire need a completely open body when tipping out. So with this tailgate and body combination, we have a truck that can load and tip absolutely anything.'

Mounted on 360hp Scania chassis and finished off with Harsh stabilized underfloor tipping gear, the new Loadmasters join Metcalfe’s impressively large mixed fleet that includes: low loaders; tipper grabs; plant/machinery transporters; and street cleaning vehicles.

Long established in Penrith, Metcalfe are now busy developing a second site on the town’s Gilwilly Industrial Estate; this being purpose-designed for the company’s ever increasing recycling activities. ‘These new Loadmasters are just the tippers we need,’ said Mr Metcalfe. ‘We like them so much that I’ve just ordered another two units.’