Collins Earthworks recently took delivery of five Volvo FMX 500 Globetrotter 6x4 tractor units, making the Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, firm the first throughout the UK to receive Volvo’s new-model FMX. Collins Earthworks’ FMXs are 6x4 double-drive tractor units, each paired with an ejector trailer. The trucks also feature a tandem-axle lift that enables disengaging and lifting the drive to the rearmost axle, helping save wear on the tyres and reducing fuel consumption.
An Advanced Driving Experience
Collin Earthworks has been using Volvo-made trucks for more than 20 years across its operations. In addition to its earthworks division, the company offers demolition, stabilisation, transport, training, and plant hire services. Its new Volvo FMX 500 Globetrotters will operate five days a week carrying out heavy haul duties, amassing between 80,000 and 100,000 kilometres (49,710 and 62,137 miles) per annum.
“These FMXes represent the first of an all-new generation of vehicles, and so far, we’ve been massively impressed,” says Collins Earthworks Garage Manager Andy Jinks. “The new FMX cab has proved really popular with our drivers. They’ve got more space, improved visibility thanks to a lowered door line, new rear-view mirrors, and an ultra-modern digital driver display, which can be customised to suit what the driver wants to see. All combined, it’s greatly advanced the driving experience.”
The Power To Haul
Volvo dealer Hartshorne Motor Services supplied the new trucks, all of which are powered by a Volvo D13K engine that’s rated for 500 horsepower (373 kilowatts) and 2,500 newton-metres (1,844 pounds-foot) of torque. (Other engines are available, as are alternative fuel options.) The trucks also came equipped with Volvo’s automated 12-speed I-Shift gearbox. Collins Earthworks specified the transmission with construction gear-changing software to help meet various challenges its drivers are likely to encounter on jobsites.
Six cab sizes, from low day cab to extended crew cab, are available for the FMX. Collins Earthworks equipped its Globetrotter cabs with various option packs and extra features, including a Volvo digital dashboard display, leather seats, a fridge-freezer unit, a microwave, and a reversing camera. On the exterior, the trucks sport Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels, air horns, a factory air deflector kit, and a Kelsa light bar. They also benefit from Volvo’s V-shaped LED headlamps with integrated headlamp protectors and new anti-slip footsteps.
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Source: Volvo