Release date: 3 December 2004

TRI-AXLE DRAWBAR COMBINES STRENGTH AND VERSATILITY

Kent-based tractor and combine harvester dealer, Mark Hellier, has replaced his existing tandem axle centre balance drawbar trailer with a new tri-axle unit from Andover Trailers.

The upgrade was necessary to allow Mark Hellier to transport the very latest models of combine harvester, which have grown in size in recent years and can now weigh up to 17 tonnes each.

Tailor-made to fit Mark Hellier’s bespoke requirements, the CBDBCL 24 tri-axle centre balance drawbar trailer with beavertail is used exclusively to collect items for sale and to deliver new products, operating in conjunction with a 480 hp Scania rigid.

“The nature of our business means that when a new piece of equipment is sold, the customer normally wants it yesterday,” explains Mark Hellier. “This means that operating our own vehicle is essential, as we're not reliant on contracting the job to a specialist haulier, but have the flexibility to act quickly and deliver the product ourselves.”

“Our last trailer was also built by Andover, but with a maximum payload of around 13 tonnes, we needed the extra strength available from trading up to a tri-axle unit in order to handle some of the larger machines,” he adds.

The 7.6m long drawbar trailer is equipped with wheel wells, which had to retain the height of the trailer on smaller wheels, and 18 inch slide out extensions on either side (including the wheel wells) to accommodate all sizes of combine harvester. It is also equipped with EBS braking, SAF disc brake axles and air suspension, 19.5” tyres onpolished aluminium wheels and finished in a smart blue livery.

Release date: 24 November 2004

KESTREL POWERED ACCESS INSIST ON ANDOVER

Bristol-based Kestrel Powered Access Ltd has taken delivery of three new DAF rigids with Andover Trailers plant bodies, supplied on a comprehensive five-year contract hire deal from Gulliver's Truck Hire.

The three trucks, comprising two 18 tonne 4x2’s and one 26 tonne 6x2, join a fleet of two existing vehicles and will be used for delivering powered access machines throughout the south of England and south Wales.

“When we planned the specifications with Gulliver's we specifically requested that the bodies be manufactured by Andover,” explains Mark May, Managing Director of Kestrel Powered Access.

“The strength and overall quality of the Andover plant bodies are in a different league to some of the previous bodies we have had. On a busy day our vehicles can make up to eight deliveries each, so we need a rugged vehicle which is really built to last,” he adds.

The two LPPB 18 bespoke-built plant bodies are 8.45 m long and 2.54m wide and the larger LPPB 26, is 9.59 m long. Both designs offer a deck height which is five inches lower than a normal plant body with beavertail, producing lower ramp and beavertail approach angles which makes loading and unloading easier.

All three vehicles benefit from 3.7m long hydraulic power toe ramps with hydraulic rear steady legs, which are synchronised to operate in conjunction with the ramp control. They are also fitted with 5,000 kg Ramsey hydraulic winches to ease with the loading and unloading of machines.

Release date: 16 September 2004

SUPER STRENGTH STEP FRAME FOR H E SERVICES

Andover Trailers has supplied a bespoke built tri-axle step frame trailer featuring uprated axles and a heavier neck to H E Services, the UK's largest specialist excavator hire company.

The new specification of trailer (SFCL 59.5) has been tailor-made for H E Services and is designed for transporting the company’s super-reach excavators, which can weigh up to 41 tonnes and offer a reach of up to 22m.

The 13.6m long trailer features a low profile neck with lips on the front member and a BPW air suspended bogie including BPW 360 brake axles with a lifting self-steering rear axle. The 2,550mm wide trailer is designed to operate within C&U regulations but also carry the wide long reach machines.

Commenting on the delivery, Peter Durey, Managing Director of H E Services explains: “The nature of our business means we work our trailers very hard, transporting large and heavy items of plant all over the country. This new step frame has been specifically designed to handle the long reach machines and replaces a three year old SFCL 56 step frame.”

Super strength step frame for H E Services

“In addition to their superior strength and reliability, the trailers manufactured by Andover command very good residual values on the used market,” he adds. “As our fleet policy dictates that we usually replace our commercial vehicles and trailers after three years operation, it makes purchasing our plant bodies and step frames from Andover a sensible commercial decision.”

The trailer will operate in conjunction with a new DAF 6x4 tractor unit plated at 150 tonnes to give capacity for the high king pin load. The DAF / Andover combination is expected to cover up to 100,000 miles a year and will operate across the UK.

Its specification also includes heavy duty slide out extensions to the deck, bridge and beavertail, with 1m wide and 2.5m long hydraulically operated loading ramps, with hydraulic sideways.

Release date: 21 July 2004

THREE MORE ANDOVER DRAWBARS FOR TRIPOD CREST

Tripod Crest Ltd, the Northampton-based road planing contractor, has taken delivery of three more tri-axle centre balance drawbar trailers from Andover Trailers, taking the total it is operating to six.

The 7.4m long bespoke-built trailer has been specifically designed to transport a 16 tonne Wirtgen W1000 deep cut road planer with a non-folding conveyor, whilst being towed behind a Scania P114 6x2 rigid tipper.

It is equipped with hydraulic steady legs linked to the operation of the 1m wide x 3.7m long hydraulic power toe ramps. The three axle trailer is also fitted with EBS braking, SAF axles and air suspension with a raise / lower control, and has its own power pack to run the hydraulics.

“We adopted the use of drawbar trailers for moving our road planers across the country several years ago, having seen the Andover product being used in similar operations,” explains Jim Tough, Plant Director at Tripod Crest.

“We have always been impressed with the strength and reliability of Andover’s drawbar trailers,” he adds. “They are used for transporting planers to sections of motorway and major trunk roads across the UK, and we aim to keep them on the fleet for at least seven to eight years.”

Release date: 1 July 2004

SOUTH WALES OPERATION FOR NEW ANDOVER STEP FRAME

Barry Cosslett Ltd has taken delivery of its fourth step frame from Andover Trailers after many years of reliable service with other step frames and low loaders purchased from the company.

The new trailer is an SFCL 56 tri-axle step frame with beavertail and is being used in conjunction with a Foden 6x4 tractor unit to transport the company’s items of plant across South Wales.

Measuring 12m long and 2.53m wide, the step frame has been manufactured to a unique specification for Cosslett which incorporates a low profile neck and slide out extensions to the deck, bridge and beavertail.

“We chose to purchase another step frame from Andover because experience has shown their products to be robust enough to cope with all of our heavy haulage requirements,” says Barry Cosslett, Managing Director. “When the trailer isn’t busy transporting our own items of plant it is also used to move equipment for other companies in the region.”

Other key components of the SFCL 56 specification include an extension to the heavy strap under the neck, with timber over the wheels in place of steel plate. The ramps have been uprated with steel plates on the toe section and 30mm steel plates in place of the timber trap doors over the axles. This construction gives a very rugged and strong frame for moving crushers and demolition machines.

The trailer is finished in a red livery to match the tractor unit and is expected to remain on the Cosslett fleet for up to ten years.

Release date: 16 June 2004

NEW PLANT BODY JOINS GSE PLANT FLEET

Ashford-based GSE Plant Ltd has taken delivery of its third plant body from Andover Trailers, mounted to a 32 tonne DAF chassis.

The new vehicle has a maximum payload of 19 tonnes, allowing GSE Plant the flexibility to transport its 13.5 tonne excavators together with an assortment of buckets and other accessories in one load.

Mike Mackman, Managing Director of GSE Plant, has been purchasing plant bodies from Andover for a number of years and believes they are the strongest on the market. “Countless bodybuilders offer plant bodies but whether they could really stand up to the daily abuse of having a machine weighing over 13 tonnes driving up onto their back is a different matter,” says Mr Mackman.

“The Andover body takes all of this in its stride, and reliability has never been an issue for us. What’s more, the fact that the chassis is mounted with an Andover plant body has a positive impact on residual values when the time comes to part-exchange,” he adds.

The LPPB 32 bespoke-built plant body is 9.67m long and 2.54m wide and offers a deck height which is five inches lower than a normal beavertail, producing lower ramp and beavertail approach angles which makes loading and unloading easier.

The body is fitted with two 2.5m long, 1m wide, hydraulic power toe ramps and hydraulic steady legs, which are synchronised to operate in conjunction with the ramps.

GSE Plant will use the vehicle to deliver its items of plant to construction sites across Kent and East Sussex, although the vehicle will also be made available for transporting customer’s own plant to any destination in the UK.

The vehicle is expected to remain on the fleet for six years and will be in operation six days a week, covering approximately 100,000 km a year.

Release date: 26 May 2004

IMPRESSIVE RESIDUALS HELP FUND NEW ANDOVER STEP FRAME

Newbury-based Potterton Site Services (PSS) has traded in its eight year old Andover Trailers step frame as part exchange against a new tri-axle step frame with beavertail.

The SFCL 40 trailer joins a second Andover on the company’s fleet, and will be used to transport a mixture of PSS’s own plant to construction sites within a 30 mile radius, as well as machinery on behalf of other operators.

Finished in a bright yellow livery, the step frame features a low profile neck and slide out side extensions to the deck, bridge and beavertail, together with a lifting rear axle. It also benefits from 1m wide hydraulic four-member power toe ramps with hydraulic sideways, as well as a Granning suspension with raise / lower control.

“When it came to replacing my older trailer I had no hesitation in going back to Andover Trailers,” explains Roy Bean, Proprietor of PSS. “They say proof of the pudding is in the eating, and if the ruggedness and reliability demonstrated by my first Andover over the past eight years is anything to go by, then these trailers are unbreakable.”

“What’s more, despite its age, my original step frame still offered an exceptionally good residual value which I wasn’t expecting after such a long life on my fleet,” he adds.

The new trailer will be used in conjunction with a 460hp Scania 144L tractor unit, and will be in operation up to five and a half days a week covering around 60,000 miles a year.

Release date: 8 March 2004

GOLDHOFER PREPARES FOR BAUMA 2004

Heavy haulage trailer manufacturer Goldhofer, is exhibiting six products on a stand measuring over 1,000m² at BAUMA 2004 in Munchen, held between 29th March and 4th April.

The selection of exhibits reflects the wide range of transport solutions produced by the German manufacturer, which are available for purchase in the UK through its sole agent, Andover Trailers.

Taking pride of place on the stand are two trailers from Goldhofer’s heavy-duty modular range, comprising an eight axle combination trailer with crawler deck and disc brake axles, and an even larger 14 axle heavy-duty combination with long load rear bogie, designed specifically for the transport of huge bridge and concrete parts for a customer in Spain.

Commenting on the exhibition line-up, Ivan Collins, Sales Director of Andover Trailers, says: “Goldhofer’s motto of ‘lower, lighter, stronger’ will be clear for all to see as visitors descend upon the world’s biggest construction equipment fair later this month.”
“These two modular trailers are the biggest Goldhofer could fit on its stand, but with over 6,500 axle lines already sold since the range was introduced in 1975, there are many even bigger trailers in operation in countries across the world,” he adds.

Other Goldhofer products on display include a narrow axle low loader and draw bar and step frame trailers, designed for carrying a range of construction machinery.

Release date: 23 February 2004

TRI-AXLE STEP FRAME TAKES PLANT ACROSS SCOTLAND

Andover Trailers has supplied Arbroath-based D Geddes (Contractors) Ltd with its fourth Andover Trailers step frame trailer, for use transporting construction machinery across Scotland.

The SFCL 56 tri-axle step frame has been manufactured with a low profile neck and slide out extensions to the deck, bridge and beavertail and will be regularly used to transport large excavators weighing up to 35 tonnes.

Operating in conjunction with a range of tractor units, including DAF, Foden and Scania, the step frame is expected to remain in operation for at least ten years, covering approximately 80,000 miles a year.

“I already operate a number of Andover step frames and their impressive strength and reliability keeps them at the top of my shopping list,” says Frank Geddes, Managing Director.

“The problem with a lot of step frames is that the ramps can be too steep when it comes to loading large machinery, but the gentle slope of the Andover makes light work of even the trickiest of jobs,” he adds.

Finished in a distinctive Larkspur Blue livery, the step frame is equipped with 2.5m long hydraulic power toe ramps with sideways travel and hydraulic steady legs. The specification also includes Hendrickson axles with rear lift, and a Hendrickson suspension with a raise / lower control.

Release date: 26 January 2004

GOLDHOFER TRANSPORTS PREDATOR OUT OF LONDON

Sunseeker International used its new Goldhofer trailer to transport its Predator 61, a £1 million state-of-the-art luxury high performance motor cruiser, out of the London International Boat Show last Thursday.

Operating in conjunction with a new Scania 6x4 tractor unit, the Goldhofer trailer followed a carefully planned route from the Excel Exhibition Centre in the Docklands to move the 61ft Predator through the London streets and back to the company’s HQ in Poole, Dorset.

The Goldhofer STZ-KL3 outer beam kit low loader was supplied to Sunseeker by Andover Trailers at the end of 2003, and is the first trailer in the UK to feature Goldhofer’s new EasyControl Premium steering system.

Operated by radio control, the EasyControl Premium allows the driver to open the four off valve and control the trailer’s steering remotely, without needing to stop the vehicle and get out of the cab. It also automatically resets the steering pressure and carries out other vital trailer functions whilst on the move, such as raising and lowering the neck or suspension to get under low bridges or over obstacles.

Mark Garside, Transport and Export Manager at Sunseeker, explains: “This is the first Goldhofer we have ever purchased and in the few weeks since it entered operation we have been very impressed with its performance.

“The trailer was tailor-made to suit our requirements, and incorporates an extra wide neck design and reversed steering head which allows us to carry vessels of this size ‘bow-up’. This allows us to run at a shorter combination length and helps to distribute the weight across the deck of the trailer,” he adds.

The low loader has a gross weight of 58,500 kg and a maximum payload capacity of 37,500 kg at 50km/h and has three hydraulically steered axles. The beam kit deck has finger joints at the rear of the beam and its 8.8m long deck can be extended length wise by a further 5.5m to accommodate very large boats. It also has a width of 2,750mm extending to 3,850mm hydraulically, and the frame is guaranteed by a five year Goldhofer warranty.

The trailer will be used for moving Sunseeker boats from factory to factory, or to the docks for exportation abroad. It joins an older Nooteboom trailer already on the fleet and is expected to remain in operation for at least fifteen years.