Trenchcon paves the way with first Volvo FE low-entry cab truckmixer

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Transport Engineer  /  May 19, 2017

Concrete supplier Trenchcon has taken delivery of a Volvo FE low-entry cab (LEC) 6x2 rigid for truckmixer applications – the first vehicle of its type to enter service in the UK.

The operator needed a specialist 6m³ mixer for work in inner London, as managing director Ronan Byrne explains: “With the Volvo FE LEC, we believe that we are paving the way for a new type of construction truck for use in the urban environment.”

Safety was top of the agenda when it came to vehicle selection, he adds: “The greatly enhanced direct vision afforded the driver – which is aided by his sitting about 400mm lower in this truck compared to a standard six-wheel mixer – we believe brings the percentage chance of harm to such as cyclists and pedestrians, down by a significant amount.”

Supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre London, at Enfield, the new addition has a 320bhp engine, coupled to a direct top I-Shift automated gearbox and a single reduction rear axle, and is equipped with a CIFA truck mixer body, by Wilcox, and a Brigade four-camera safety system.

The FE LEC also features air suspension on all three axles and a hydraulic steered tag-axle. The safety cab features two step entry and a lowered window in the nearside door to increase visibility for the driver.

“The type of work we do means that the FE LEC doesn’t need to go off road. When we spec’ed it up, we chose Volvo for the best quality and the fact that this truck is top-of-the-range and entirely suited to our needs,” says Byrne.

“We needed the rear-steer lift axle for maneuverability and the I-Shift automated gearbox as the best solution available to help the driver manage deliveries through the constant stop-start heavy traffic. It’s the first truck of its kind for Volvo and I think that we will see many more operators opting for this type of mixer in London.”

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