Low Cab Entry Drives Highway Maintenance Specialist’s Acquisition Of Volvo FE Tippers
Safety for its own drivers, other road users, and pedestrians was a primary factor in highway maintenance specialist Ringway’s recent decision to acquire three 26-tonne (28.6-U.S.-ton) Volvo FE 6x2 rigids. The West Sussex-based firm maintains a countrywide fleet of roughly 2,000 assets including everything from small vans to large specialist tractor units from various manufacturers, including Volvo. Ringway Fleet and Plant Operations manager Chris Forrest says the FE’s low-entry cab specifically helped cement Ringway’s decision.
“They needed to be Direct Vision Standard-compliant for working in London, and as a company, we are always looking for ways to improve the safety of our fleet, wherever we work,” Forrest says. “The cabs on the new FEs help our drivers have better visibility of vulnerable road users. They are also better for the drivers themselves, as the cab is lower, so it’s easier and safer for them to get in and out.”
Safe Highway Maintenance
Ringway will use the Volvo FEs five days a week, generally in busy urban settings. The company oversees in excess of 50,000 kilometres (31,068.6 miles) of UK highways, performing winter street, lighting, structural maintenance, cleansing, inspection, and other services. Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East supplied the FEs, which feature Thompsons tipper bodies and PALFINGER EPSILON grab cranes.
Built on a 3,900-millimetre (153.5-inch) wheelbase, the FEs include Volvo’s I-Shift automated transmission technology to make driving easier and safer, and receive power from a Volvo D8K engine that generates 350 horsepower (260 kilowatts) of rated power and 1,400 newton-metres (1,032 pounds-foot) of torque.
Improving Community Safety
The FE’s low-entry cab measures 2,200 mm long by 2,300 mm wide (87 x 91 in.), and provides enhanced all-around visibility by way of its low driving position, expansive windscreen, and an extra set of lower windows in the doors. A low instep and 90-degree door opening make entering and exiting the cab easier.
“We’ve already had great feedback from the drivers. They really like them,” Forrest says. “Each vehicle does slightly different work on different projects; it could be laying kerbs, reinstating pavements, or carrying out general road repairs. But they’ll all be working in busy built-up areas, so it’s about improving community safety with the low-entry cabs and improving air quality with the Euro 6 Step D engines. We are committed to investing in a greener and a safer future.”
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Source: Volvo