West Coast Haulage Replaces 60 Trucks From Another Marque With New Volvo FMX Tippers
Volvo Trucks has filled one of the largest orders yet for its all-new Volvo FMX, launched in February 2020. West Coast Haulage of Thame, Oxfordshire, has added 60 of the trucks with tipper bodywork to its fleet of more than 100 trucks. The 32-tonne (35.2-U.S.-ton) tippers replace older models from a competing manufacturer, returning the muck-shifting specialist to the Volvo fold. Volvo builds the FMX to handle especially tough working conditions and demanding applications.
“We have had Volvos in the fleet previously, and we’ve come back to the brand because we like their simple and user-friendly design,” says West Coast Haulage Director David Sexton. “We also suffered from a lot of electrical faults with the previous brand of truck we were running, so we didn’t want to replace like-for-like.”
Six Days A Week
West Coast Haulage was established in 1997 with a fleet of six eight-wheel tippers. It now operates six satellite centres in addition to its main Thame facility and offers excavation material removal, HIAB and grab services, and soil, sand, stone, and aggregate material supply service. Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East supplied the trucks, which will run six days weekly, covering 50,000 to 80,000 kilometres (31,000 to 49,700 miles) annually.
Each of the new FMXes includes a Thompson steel tipper, a 275-litre (72.6-gallon) plastic diesel tank between the front axles, and a 12.8-L Euro 6 diesel engine rated for 420 horsepower (313 kilowatts) and 2,100 newton-metres (1,549 pounds-foot) of torque. Their automated Volvo I-Shift 12-speed transmissions feature enhanced software for construction and off-road applications. The trucks were also specified with a heavy-duty front bumper, a front-towing eye built into the chassis, a guard plate providing extra protection for the cooling pipes and oil sump, and Volvo’s new V-shaped LED headlights.
Intensive Work
The FMX is offered with D11K or D13K engines from 330 to 540 HP (246 to 402 kW), six cab sizes from low to crew, and three trim options (Robust, Dynamic, and Progressive). It also features Volvo’s Dynamic Steering system, a new traction control panel that gives drivers access to quick traction adjustments, and a 38-t (41.9-U.S.-t) bogie that allows for gross combination weights (GCWs) of up to 150 t (165 U.S. t). The truck’s new digital dashboard features a 12-inch instrument display and a separate 9-in. side display for infotainment, navigation, transport, camera monitoring, and more.
“We specialise in working on large highways and infrastructure projects, and it’s intensive work with our drivers spending a lot of time in the cab, so comfort and convenience is important to them,” says Sexton. “The updated FMX day cab with a fixed rear window is a big step forward on the old model, and the drivers are very happy with the upgrades—and in particular with the more reactive steering.”
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Source: Volvo