Midwest Plant of Brecon, South Wales has put a new Volvo FH16-750 tractor unit into operation. The 6×4 tractor unit is plated for 80-tonne operations and its purchase came after the rugged performance of a Volvo FH12, acquired as a used truck by the company in 2009.

Midwest Plant director, Eirig Davies, stated “The Volvo FH12 has survived well in an extremely tough environment, as most of our work is off-road either building forestry tracks or working in quarry sites. The FH12 was three years oldwhen we bought it in 2009 and it has stood the test of time better than I expected, so it made senseto lookat Volvo for its replacement.”

Supplied by Darren Padfield at Volvo Truck and Bus Wales and West, the new FH16-750 double drive prime mover is equipped with Volvo’s unique combination of an I-Shift Crawler gearbox and Tandem Axle Lift.

Eirig added, “When Tandem Axle Lift became available for 80-tonne applications, that sold the new Volvo to us. We operate frequently on narrow forest tracks with restricted turning and reversing areas. These are often adjacent to steep mountain sides, so the ability to reduce our turning circles when running empty is a real benefit”.

The 12-speed I-Shift Crawler gearbox also features deep multi-speed reverse gears with a ratio of 37:1. The 3200mm wheelbase tractor unit has a Globetrotter cab, single reduction drive axles and high ground clearance with a low offset front axle beam. Inside the driver benefits from Volvo’s Drive plus+ package and Living package with two beds.

Midwest Plant will use the new Volvo FH16-750 in conjunction with a Faymonville four axle, rear steer low loader trailer to move their own plant and equipment across a wide geographical area.

Volvo products have a strong presence within Midwest Plant’s fleet of over 40 machines. Founded over 40 years ago, Midwest Plant is an established civil engineering business. The company is a main contractor for Natural Resources Wales and major utility providers.