In all forms of logistics and haulage, the aim is to avoid running empty vehicles as far as possible. But in the plant hire sector, it is not very simple to do this. More often than not, lowloaders travel fully laden in one direction – either delivering or collecting a piece of heavy plant – but are often empty going the other way. The cost of fuel, driver and wear and tear on the vehicle is just that: a cost. And as most plant hire companies rent equipment out on a weekly hire basis, the haulage vehicles are often busy on Monday mornings delivering and collecting the plant – but may be sitting at times during the rest of the week.

At the same time, however, the companies who are hiring the plant may want to move it around. They may hire an excavator for a few weeks or months with the intention of using it on a number of different construction sites – but may not have the equipment themselves to move it from one location to the next. These are the two main factors that have seen national construction plant hire company L Lynch develop a highly successful transport hire business: providing a wide range of self-drive and operated vehicles from 7.5t beavertail lorries to 4-axle lowloaders, including hiabs.