According to CRJ Services Ltd, Director Rob Symons, their new ‘flagship’ Volvo FH16-650 tag-axle tractor unit has helped “future-proof” the fleet, thanks to its being connected, via Volvo’s on-board telematics gateway, to the dealer network, for the remote diagnosis of faults and monitoring of the status of crucial components.

To fix maintenance costs for five years and to ensure optimum vehicle availability, CRJ Services Ltd, have placed the FH16-650 on the highest level, ‘Gold’ R&M contract. The FH16-650 is plated for operation at up to 65 tonnes under STGO CAT2 regulations and maintenance and ‘O’ Licence Inspections will be carried out at weekends by the supplying dealer, Thomas Hardie Commercials at Middlewich.

Based near Knutsford, Cheshire, CRJ Services are the UK’s largest supplier of mobile recycling equipment. The firm has been trading for 15 years and the new FH16-650 joins a fleet of seven trucks – all Volvos – which deliver high-value, specialist machines for the slow and high speed shredding and screening of waste. The company operates a hire fleet of over 70 machines, including the latest trommel screens and high throughput shredders from Haas and Doppstadt.

The FH16-650 is CRJ Services’ first new Volvo and is usually coupled to a brand new Faymonville MultiMAX four-axle, extendable low loader trailer.

The fitment of a Rockinger towing hitch, together with full air and electrics to the rear, enables the tractor to multitask as it can also be used to couple to wheeled machines like certain of the Doppstadt screens.

“Our customers need ultimate reliability from us in terms of deliveries and maintenance of these highly specialised machines,” says Rob Symons. “Our machines process over a million tonnes of waste a year and our customers include most of the largest waste management companies and many local authorities in the UK, from the Shetland Isles to Cornwall. What attracted us to the FH16-650 was the whole package offered by Volvo and Thomas Hardie Commercials, like the fact that the FH16-650 is connected to the dealer. These mobile recycling machines are connected to our workshops so that we can monitor component wear and diagnose in-service problems remotely. We are used to using this technology to help deliver the best possible customer service and recognise that it will be of benefit with the Volvo during the next five years as the mobile waste recycling machinery hire business is very intensive and customers need to know that they are not going to be let down because of an easily fixable problem with a component. We have our own engineers, our own workshops and our own transport. Volvo is helping us to serve our customers.”