Travis Perkins invests in 400 new DAFs with Hiab cranes

Building materials distributor Travis Perkins has announced a multi-million pound deal with Hiab for 400 crane trucks. All 400 cranes will be fitted to DAF trucks with a mixture of 26-tonne, 18-tonne, 16-tonne and 12-tonne examples of the DAF XD and LF models. These four-star DVS rated trucks will all be fitted with the DAF Digital Vision System, replacing the side mirrors, and DAF Corner View instead of the class V and VI mirrors. 

Delivery of the new Hiab iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 crane-equipped trucks begin in January 2024. Over a three-year period the new Hiab units will replace existing crane trucks on the group’s heavy delivery fleet in the Travis Perkins merchanting and Keyline Civils Specialist businesses.

Travis Perkins group HSE and fleet director, Richard Byrne said: “These new cranes represent a significant investment. They support our plans to innovate and grow, and they cement our place as a leading partner to construction by serving our customers with improved safety and efficiency. All new cranes will come with a maintenance contract, which means they will be maintained to the highest standards by Hiab. They also support our own commitment to net zero and the decarbonisation of our customers’ supply chain; a commitment we share with Hiab, whose values very much align with our own.”

Alongside the ability to turn the engine on and off from the crane remote control, which reduces idling emissions and noise pollution, the new cranes are around 150kg lighter than the previous Hiab X-HIDUO 162 model. This leads to better fuel consumption and the truck can increase its payload. Despite being lighter than its predecessor, the new model is stronger so operators can deliver heavy loads in challenging conditions safely and accurately. 

Gage Roberts, Hiab key account manager for the UK & Ireland said: “We are all very excited to introduce the first Hiab iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 to Travis Perkins and get this unit out working in the field. It became very apparent that when specifying a crane for our customers, the safety features alongside the environmental factors are much more prominent considerations than they ever have been previously. The new crane has an abundance of innovations that will all work towards this crane being the safest, most efficient and most productive crane in the industry. It is also great to work alongside a strategic partner such as Travis Perkins plc; a company that always demands the very best - something that benefits both businesses enormously.”

The cranes come with Hiab’s new CombiDrive 4 remote control which has sensors to automatically detect where the operator is to minimise the risk of accidents. They are also equipped with HiConnect telematics to monitor performance and safety.

Vice president for sales and product management, loader cranes light and medium, at Hiab, Alexander Gelis, said: “There has never been a product on the market before like the HIAB iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 in its category. Our innovation teams have been working on this round-the-clock for several years and no stone has been left unturned, from hose routing and weight savings, to enhanced safety features and technology that will help companies achieve sustainability targets. When the new Hiab iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 cranes are rolled out, we expect the crane operators to see immediate benefits. We look forward to working with Travis Perkins and bringing about real change to the wider UK industry.”