Bedford Plant takes customised loader truck
11 January 2010
UK-based Truck Specialists Ltd. has produced a versatile truck with a 50 tonne/metre rated crane for Bedford Plant, designed to transport plant, building materials or cabins for construction sites.
The vehicle is based on a DAF CF85-360 6.4 m wheelbase 8 x 4 chassis, which was chosen for its traction on sites where roads have not yet been constructed.
It is fitted with an ACB 500-4 50 tonne/metre crane that can stack cabins two high. To achieve the necessary payload capacity, the crane sub-frame and bodywork is fabricated from high-strength Hardox steel.
The vehicle had to be capable of carrying plant up to 12 tonnes and cabins 32 feet (9.8 m) long, so Truck Specialists equipped the body with telescopic ramps at the rear which can be extended to provide support for the long cabins as they are loaded.
When the vehicle is being used to carry plant, the rear section of the body tilts hydraulically and hydraulic ramps are extended to minimize the approach angle. In addition, the truck is fitted with a hydraulically-driven winch so that any immobilized plant can be recovered easily. A further feature is removable dropsides that allow the vehicle to transport building materials when it is not carrying cabins or plant.
Bedford Plant Hire has a range of over 200 cabins, which are used to provide site accommodation for civil engineering and building contracts undertaken by SDC and other companies. In addition the company supplies plant and equipment.
Truck Specialists is the sole UK distributor for ATIB, based in Brescia, Italy and supplies the compete range of ATIB hooklifts and telescopic loaders together with sheeting systems, loadcells and drawbar attachments.
