Andover Trailers has delivered an expertly engineered plant body and drawbar combination to civil and ground engineering firm Forkers, in order to help it improve the efficiency of its heavy-duty drilling operations. After an extensive research about manufacturers that could provide a workable solution for transporting various plant and equipment within legal lengths limits, Forkers chose Andover Trailers.
“We wanted a truck and trailer combination that was capable of carrying a variety of plant, as well as the 20ft water containers we require for our drilling operations,” said Dean Hudson, Plant Director at Forkers. “We thought it was a tall order, but Andover tabled a design compact enough to fit within the length regulations, yet tough enough to carry the weight – something their competitors just could not match.”
The plant body was mounted to a new Scania R450 8×2 chassis, working alongside the Andover-built, tri-axle drawbar trailer that offers a payload of up to 18.6 tonnes. For optimum versatility, both the body and trailer can carry the water container, which can be unloaded from either using the in-built Fassi 36 tm crane.
Andover’s clever ramp technology offers a flat load bed when the truck is in use without the trailer, while allowing for maximum deck space when coupled. This means that the plant body can either be through-loaded via the trailer or by positioning the drawbar at 90 degrees.
“The drawbar combination’s versatility is what really impressed us, particularly the variety of ways we can load and unload to both truck and trailer. It has saved us so much time and means the equipment we bring to site can just get to work, which obviously helps improve our operational efficiency,” added Hudson.
Other features include a removable fixed width working at height system on the truck and trailer, a six-tonne electric winch, a comprehensive load securing system, and a range of lashing points to accommodate Forker’s versatile load requirements.
The truck and drawbar combination represents the first time Forkers has specified a build from Andover Trailers and joins a seven-strong commercial vehicle fleet made up of a variety of different plant bodies. On the road five days a week, the company is looking to keep both truck and trailer in service for at least 10 years
