DERBYSHIRE QUARRY OPERATOR LONGCLIFFE IS RESHAPING ITS TRUCK AND TRAILER FLEET WITH A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON GETTING READY FOR THE FUTURE, AS BULK & TIPPER FINDS OUT.
What does a bottle of beer have in common with the food you give your pet, the paving slabs on your patio, and the rubber hoses under your car bonnet? Not your typical pub quiz question, admittedly. But the answer is… calcium carbonate.
From glassware to adhesives and fertilisers to medicines, this versatile mineral is used in dozens of applications in everyday life. And fortunately, it’s found over much of the earth’s surface as limestone, chalk and dolomite.
Derbyshire calcium carbonates supplier Longcliffe is dedicated to extracting this multi-purpose material from the ground. Established in 1927 by the current chairman’s great-grandfather John Shields, this family-run firm is one of the largest independent suppliers of calcium carbonate powders and aggregates in the UK. It sources around two million tonnes a year, in fact, from two quarries just south of the Peak District National Park – the Brassington Moor quarry at Matlock that the operation began with way over 90 years ago, and an adjacent second site, Ryder Point, secured in 2010.
VOLVO’S NEW RANGE HAS AT LAST BEEN SPRUNG, AND BULK & TIPPER GETS THE CHANCE TO INSPECT AND TEST DRIVE THE IMPROVED FM/FMX AND THE REVISED FH.
The launch of the new Volvo FM/FMX, along with a revised FH range, was put on hold in March at the early stages of the COVID 19 pandemic. We were supposed to attend the launch event in Gothenburg. Calling a halt to proceedings was in itself a complex process, as visitors from all over the world were due to arrive in just a day or two. Subsequent world-wide events proved this to be a wise decision for all concerned, but we very keen to hear about the new ranges and get behind the wheel as soon as possible.
Fortunately, Volvo Trucks UK and Ireland, gave us an opportunity to inspect a selection of the new models, quiz technical staff and drive the trucks in early July, at its Warwick headquarters. We were able to try the first versions to arrive in the UK, with a variety of models, specifications and combinations, reflecting the breath of the Volvo product range.
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BEDFORDSHIRE-BASED NEWTON TRAILERS HAS PROVIDED TRAILER SALES, HIRE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE TIPPING AND BULK HAULAGE SECTOR FOR OVER 30 YEARS. BULK & TIPPER REPORTS.
Truck operators invariably have to respond to changing customer demand at short notice. This might require additional equipment to handle what could be a lucrative new source of business within a very tight deadline. In this situation many turn to suppliers holding plenty of stock and a wide range of products. If the operator has a diverse requirement to meet different applications, it’s doubtful that a single manufacturer could meet all of his needs. The best option is a supplier offering a range of equipment from different manufacturers, preferably in stock, or available at very short notice and has the option of renting from an extensive hire fleet. It’s even better if the company provides the additional services to prepare and if required, modify the equipment at short notice and offers effective aftermarket support.
Bedfordshire-based Newton Trailers, has specialised in providing this type of service for many years, with a thorough understanding of operators across the tipping and bulk haulage sector.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE-BASED PJ THORY IS MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER BULK HAULIER. FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY AGO, THE COMPANY IS NOW ALSO INVOLVED WITH QUARRYING, DEMOLITION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT. BULK & TIPPER HAS BEEN TO MEET EDWARD THORY, THE GRANDSON OF THE FOUNDER, WHO, APART FROM ANYTHING, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OPERATING A FLEET OF NEARLY 50 VEHICLES.
Anyone driving on the A1 south of Stamford will be familiar with the Harrier Jump Jet positioned at the main gate of RAF Wittering. But just a few miles away, a slightly lower tech gate guardian stands outside the depot of PJ Thory. It’s an ancient Caterpillar D2 crawler which used to work the land around the company’s main base at Coates, a small village east of Peterborough. Mounting the old Cat on a plinth was the idea of Peter John Thory, who established the business in 1965, but who’d been working in and around the fens for many years before. “That was Granddad all over,” says grandson Edward Thory with a smile. “He used to love antiques and old bits of engineering equipment. He was always restoring old carriages, and things, and flying around the yard on a horse and cart!”
Issue Seven: with 130+ pages of first-class journalism and photography, what more can you wish for? Bulk & Tipper, Britain’s best loved niche transport title! Click the appropriate link below to purchase your annual subscription, or individual copy.
ROWELL’S TRANSPORT IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE MIGHT NOT BE THE BIGGEST OPERATOR IN THE COUNTRY, BUT ITS VEHICLES MUST BE SOME OF THE SMARTEST. BULK & TIPPER HAS BEEN TO VISIT FATHER AND SON TEAM TREVOR AND GEORGE ROWELL WHO ARE CLEARLY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO.
The first thing you notice when you walk into the offices of Rowell’s Transport, near Chatteris in the Cambridgeshire Fens, is the two metal filing cabinets covered in Truckfest trophies: Best in Show, Best Fleet, Best New Truck, Best Custom and many more! There are actually too many to display properly, and this is just a couple of years’ worth, but they immediately demonstrate that this is a company that loves its trucks, a business where presentation is as important as profit!
It’s still very much a family firm. Apart from Trevor and George running the show, Trevor’s sister, Elaine, does the admin, and even the offices feel rather homely. When Trevor came in from the yard, he took off his work boots and put on a pair of slippers, much to the delight of Henry, the puppy who was playing on the floor. It gave him something to chew! But it’s taken many years of hard graft for Trevor to get to where he is now.
VEHICLE WEIGHING SOLUTIONS HAS RECENTLY LAUNCHED AN ON-BOARD WEIGHING SYSTEM FOR TIPPERS AND TANKERS THAT USES A WIRELESS INTERNET CONNECTION TO FEED LOAD DATA TO A CENTRAL CLOUD PORTAL IN REAL TIME. BULK & TIPPER TAKES A CLOSER LOOK.
Wireless connectivity is nothing new, but the applications to which Wi-Fi internet access is being put continue to grow as the technology matures – from systems that let you answer your doorbell from the other side of the world to those that allow a doctor at the local hospital to monitor the heartbeat of a patient in their own home. And now Vehicle Weighing Solutions (VWS) has extended the possibilities further still with its new Wi-Fi Weighing system, which monitors and records the loads on a tipper or tanker remotely.
The Reading, Berkshire-based company, a longstanding on-board weighing solutions provider that counts the likes of local councils and waste management contractors among its customers, is perhaps best known for its Enviroweigh and Loadweigh payload control systems.
A NEW HIGH-SPECIFICATION DAF 8X4 TRIDEM IS PUT THROUGH ITS PACES BY BULKJ & TIPPER ON STREAMING WET ROADS IN THE FOREST OF DEAN AND THEN IN A DISUSED QUARRY, FEATURING A SERIES OF SHORT, SHARP GRADIENTS, VERY TIGHT BENDS AND, IN PLACES, A SLIPPERY SURFACE DUE TO TORRENTIAL RAIN.
DAF introduced its FAW 8×4 Tridem models last year, and Bulk and Tipper was able to give a brief opinion on the new model after attending a construction vehicle driving event in Southern Spain. The truck we tried back then was an LHD CF480 Tridem, with the Space Cab high-roof sleeper and Palfinger Hookloader equipment. The truck gave a good account of itself on an off-road course in a quarry and we were keen to try another version of the FAW Tridem.
The Dutch manufacturer has offered another Tridem layout for some time, but it’s a relatively late entrant to the 8×4 sector. Competitors such as Volvo, Mercedes, Renault and Scania have offered suitable chassis in the UK for some time.
Issue Seven: with 130+ pages of first-class journalism and photography, what more can you wish for? Bulk & Tipper, Britain’s best loved niche transport title! Click the appropriate link below to purchase your annual subscription, or individual copy.
