Chartrange of Dukinfield in Cheshire has taken delivery of three Volvo FMX 8×4 rigid tipper trucks from Thomas Hardie Commercials, Trafford Park. These are the company’s first-ever Volvo trucks.
Transport Manager at Chartrange, Simon Redfern says: “These are our very first Volvo trucks. At the beginning of this year we looked at increasing the size of our fleet and tried demonstrators from a number of manufacturers. Thomas Hardie Commercials initially gave us a Volvo FMX-420 to trial and then later in the process we took a Volvo FMX-410 on a one-week test.
“The decision on which trucks to use wasn’t taken lightly, but in the end we decided the Volvo FMX was absolutely the right truck for us. Now the three trucks have been delivered we are convinced this was the right way to go. The Volvo FMX tippers are clearly made for the job – they look the part and the quality is second-to-none,” enthuses Simon.
The driver who led the trial process for Chartrange, Matt Booth adds: “The Volvo FMX is the best wagon. It is high quality and has been put together properly. In short, it is simply a really nice wagon.”
The trucks are delivering payloads of up to 19.5 tonnes in the 15m3 capacity Taperlite HD tipper bodies, which were fitted and Whole Vehicle Type Approved by Boweld of Flintshire.
“Our business is predominantly bulk excavation and then the supply of processed aggregate generated from this,” says Simon. “Our 4-acre site here in Dukinfield processes in the region of 40,000 tonnes per year, so is essentially a recycling centre serving an area within a 50 mile radius.”
Chartrange works alongside many of the UK’s major contractors undertaking groundwork duties. “The three new Volvo FMX trucks are each expected to cover some 60,000km per year hauling both material generated by bulk excavations and processed aggregate from Dukinfield, which is used for such as ground stabilisation and for sub-base in road construction,” says Simon.
The three trucks boast high ride chassis to enhance off-road capability and are powered by 410bhp Volvo 11-litre D11K engines developing up to 1950Nm of torque at between 1000 and 1400rpm. Power is transmitted through Volvo 12-speed I-Shift automated mechanical gearboxes, the innovative fuel saving transmission exclusive to Volvo Trucks.
All three Volvo FMX trucks have three-year Blue Repair & Maintenance contracts with Thomas Hardie Commercials. “The Thomas Hardie dealership and salesman Peter Schofield in particular have been really supportive throughout,” says Simon. “Nothing is too much trouble and, frankly, it has been a nice experience dealing with the team there.”
