Family-owned civil engineering and construction company, 3b construction, has taken delivery of a new bespoke truck and drawbar trailer combination from Andover Trailers.
The Andover plant body, which features a 53mt crane from Palfinger, has been fitted to a new Scania R580 8×2 rear-steer truck and is accompanied by an Andover-built 24-tonne tri-axle drawbar trailer. This combination allows 3b construction to cost-effectively transport more plant equipment to its sites, helping to expand the reach of the business.
Iain Barr, Managing Director at 3b construction, says: “This truck and trailer combination represents a new approach for us. We were very particular in what we needed it to do, and that’s why we opted for Andover. They are the one bodybuilder we can rely on to meet the specifications we requested.”
One of the major requirements of the build was the ability to through-load plant from the trailer onto the truck body, without the need to uncouple the two, a design which speeds up both loading and unloading. The ability to facilitate such a request is what sets Andover Trailers apart from many of its competitors.
The Barr family has been working with Andover Trailers for more than 30 years. The company’s reliability, precision engineering and revered build quality has kept the family returning time and time again – a fact that’s highlighted by an additional bespoke low-loader that is also currently in build.
Despite this, it hasn’t always been an exclusive relationship: “This new truck will replace a smaller 6×2 DAF that we had fitted with a competitor’s body – a decision based mostly on costs. Though that vehicle has served us well, in hindsight moving away from Andover was a mistake. The added strength and quality you get from Andover means the vehicles simply last longer, which in turn makes them much more cost-effective,” Barr admits.
The rigid truck features Andover’s pioneering fold-flat ramps with a hydraulic beavertail, designed to offer a flat load bed when the truck is used without the trailer, as well as maximising deck space when coupled. Behind the truck, the trailer’s flip toe ramps provide a shallow loading angle for low ground clearance machines whilst keeping height to a minimum – reducing fuel consumption.
A removable fixed width working at height system on both truck and trailer – which is stowed in the truck body headboard when not in use – allows access to the increasing number of sites that insist on its use. Over and above the standard load securing package, the build also features 16 additional lashing points on the truck body, with an additional six on the trailer, allowing for a versatile range of loads to be safely secured. The truck and trailer are also equipped with removable twistlocks, offering an ability to carry containers and cabins.
The new additions are expected to have a working life of at least nine years. Both truck and trailer will be moving an assortment of construction plant payloads to jobs across the UK, as well as providing support for 3b construction’s sister company, 3b crane hire, which operates out of its Ayr facility.
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For information on the heavy haulage and specialist transport solutions provided by Andover Trailers, contact Andover Trailers Ltd, Unit 75, Columbus Way, Walworth Business Park, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5NP. Tel: 01264 358 944 or e-mail: sales@andovertrailers.co.uk Website: www.andovertrailers.co.uk
Note to editor: For further press information please contact Gary Baker or James Keeler on 020 8647 4467.