Quinn Building Products adds 14 Mercedes-Benz Arocs tippers to fleet

Derrylin-Based Quinn Building Products has taken delivery of 14 8x4 Mercedes-Benz Arocs tippers – uprated to 41 tonnes – as part of its fleet renewal programme.

Supplied by MBNI Truck & Van, the new recruits face the arduous task of transporting 33 tonnes of aggregate out of the company’s quarries to its cement plant.

Quinn started producing cement at its Derrylin quarry in 1989 and is now one of the UK’s largest cement producers with an annual capacity of more than 1.7 million tonnes.

The Arocs trucks join a 150-strong fleet, consisting of 6- and 8-wheel tippers, 8-wheel mixers and artics. While Mercedes vehicles account for the greater part of its fleet, the company has a sizeable Renault presence.

Quinn opted for the ClassicSpace cab and, due to the heavy-duty nature of its work, specified the larger 12.8-litre OM471 engine generating 476hp and 2,300Nm. The bodies were supplied by C-Tec of Magherafelt and Gleesons of Tipperary.

Transport manager Brian McManus said: “Arocs is a purpose-built chassis for construction-related applications and offers the rugged build quality that we need."

“You can’t cut corners on specification for a job like this so we’ve specced them up in a few areas to help us over the life of the vehicle.”

Transporting up to 33 tonnes from the company’s Doon and Swanlinbar quarries to the Ballyconnell cement plant, the trucks will have to battle a six-mile descent, known locally as The Mountain. As a precaution, McManus specified the optional powerful water retarder that enhances safety, while reducing wear and tear on brakes and drivelines.

“We’ve been buying Mercedes trucks since 1988 and they’ve provided outstanding quality and solid reliability. We know we’ll get great value for money, and we can depend not only on the vehicles, but also on the dealer’s back up.”

The tippers are the latest in a series of orders that Quinn has placed with MBNI. Last year, the company commissioned three road-going Arocs 3240 8x4s, one tipper and two mixers, and 24 Actros 2445 tractors, fitted with StreamSpace cabs and 17.5in wheels on the mid-lift to save fuel and weight. These are used to deliver bags and bulk containers of cement powder to construction sites and builders’ merchants throughout the UK and Ireland.

Most of Quinn’s recent Mercedes trucks are backed by ExtendPlus Contracts, which supplement the standard vehicle warranties. Cover is extended to four years and takes in mechanical, electronic and electrical components. The operator undertakes routine maintenance in its workshop, for which MBNI maintains an imprest parts stock and provides technical advice and assistance.

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