Engineering and construction specialist Murphy Plant has put three Volvo FH-540 13-litre tandem axle lift tractor units into service for HS2 building works.
The three 6x4 trucks with Globetrotter cabs, supplied by Thomas Hardie Commercials in Trafford Park, are based at the firm’s depot at Golborne.
They include four-way cameras and additional passenger door glazing panels, all fitted by Thomas Hardie Vehicle Services (THVS) in Chorley.
The trucks, which are rated at 80-tonnes, are on full Volvo Gold R&M contracts.
Logistics supervisor at Murphy Plant, Michael Eden said: “Heavy haulage work is always easier with a double drive tractor as this configuration gives improved traction, but the downside is a dip in fuel consumption.
“Volvo’s tandem axle lift enables operators like Murphy Plant, who often move machinery in one direction, to eliminate this issue. In the past we've tried a simple tag and single drive, but it was taking too much weight off the drive axle, the result being wheel spin when pulling away.
“This solution is a nice bit of kit, and it works. It's nice to have the twin drive when we're loaded, then the fuel economy when we're not.”
