Louth, Lincolnshire-based demolition and waste management company, GBM UK has taken delivery of its first-ever Volvo truck, an FH16-650 6×4 tractor unit. The vehicle, plated for 120-tonne operations, will be immediately put to work on the firm’s heavy haulage side, transporting diggers, crushers and mobile screening equipment for its demolition division.
Jon Davey, Site Manager at GBM UK, says its previous truck came to end of its maintenance contract and so he carried out research in order to find out what was the best vehicle in the heavy haulage world.
“Volvo was about the best in the market,” he says. “I spoke to numerous people in the heavy haulage industry and Volvo was the most popular by far. They’ve got the biggest share of the market, which gives you a bit of assurance, and if everyone else in heavy haulage has got one, it gives you confidence. A strong point was that with so many Volvos on the roads, parts should never be a problem.”
Supplied by David Emsley at Crossroads Truck and Bus in Lincoln, the FH16-650 double drive prime mover is fitted with a Globetrotter cab and is equipped with Volvo’s 12-speed I-Shift Crawler automated manual gearbox, which features deep multi-speed reverse gears. A 3600mm wheelbase chassis, hub reduction drive axles and Volvo’s ten-tonne front axle was also specified, in addition to the FH front towing device and construction front bumper.
Inside the driver benefits from Volvo’s Drive plus++ and Living packages; including a bed, 33-litre fridge/freezer and TV preparation kit.
The FH16 also comes with a two-year Volvo Gold Service contract, which will be carried out by Crossroads Truck and Bus. This package guarantees 100 per cent uptime, making sure GBM UK’s new arrival remains at the forefront of the company’s heavy demolition transport work. GBM UK might be new to Volvo Trucks, but it is a longstanding customer of the manufacturer’s Construction Equipment for its quarrying division.
“It always comes back to value for money,” Jon concludes. “They are perhaps not the cheapest on the market, but it’s a good balance between cost and quality.”
