Nationwide fleet changes

As part of its fleet upgrade programme Nationwide Crane Hire Ltd, better known as Crane Services, has ordered new wheeled mobile cranes worth more than UK£8.5 million (US$15 million) from Liebherr in the UK. Nationwide said it is standardising its fleet, which is largely Liebherr, Grove and Kato, and is also removing unreliable machines.

Included in the order are; an LTM 1040-2.1, two LTM 1070-4.1s, two LTM 1080/1s, an LTM 1090-4.1, two LTM 1200-5.1s, an LTM 1225-5.1 and an LTM 1400-7.1. Also part of the order is a 55 tonne capacity LTC 1055-3.1 compact crane and, what will be the company's third Liebherr 500 tonner, an LTM 1500-9.1.

Rounding off the order is an MK 110 mobile folding tower crane, the first of its type in the Crane Services fleet. It has the extra ballast option, as do other machines in the order, including the two new LTM 1200-5.1s. David Slack, Crane Services managing director, said, “We've worked very closely with Liebherr, both in the UK and at their factory in Ehingen [Germany], in developing designs for the specific needs of the UK crane hire industry and, particularly, our company's own requirements. A good example of this is the first LTM 1225-5.1 delivered in the UK with increased ballast, which gives enhanced capacities across the whole duty range. This new configuration produces 'carried ballast' duties which exceed any other five-axle mobile crane in this capacity.”