Family-run machinery movers, James Garside & Son Ltd. of Boothtown, near Halifax in West Yorkshire opted for power and performance when it ordered a new double Volvo FH-540 drive tractor unit for its transport operations working across the UK and moving anything from single machines right up to full factory relocations.
The new 80-tonne arrival comes with a Globetrotter Cab and the 6×4 prime mover is powered by Volvo’s D13K engine producing 540bhp. The 3,200mm wheelbase chassis was specified with rear air suspension, a rear bogie capacity of 23-tonnes and a ten-tonne front axle. James Garside & Son also opted for Volvo’s unique I-Shift Crawler automated manual transmission system with deep multi-speed reverse gears.
Director Andrew Garside reports, “We use a three-axle step frame trailer, equipped with a crane, so when the time came to replace a lorry on the fleet, we chose the FH-540 for the power it brings.”
“James Garside & Son dismantles machinery and then relocates it, so traction is an issue for us; the back of the trailer is heavy, so we chose a double-drive vehicle. We pull a semi low-loader with a 67-tonne crane on the back of it and don’t want to get stuck on sites. We might be doing a job in Halifax for example – and there are cobble streets and hills to contend with. We need to get in, do the job and then get out, so we chose Volvo over all the others,” Andrew explains.
Supplied by Phil Atkinson at Crossroads Truck and Bus Ltd in Birstall, West Yorkshire, the new Volvo FH-540 also comes with a vertical exhaust stack and Alcoa Dura-Bright EVO alloy wheels to complement the company’s red painted cabs.
Jonathan Garside, fellow Company Director at James Garside & Son Ltd. adds, “We did consider other truck manufacturers, but in the end we didn’t approach them. Phil Atkinson came here, he was easy to deal with and explained everything in the right way. The vehicle does exactly what we want. It was the complete package and we are happy with it. It’s out there today earning its keep and it’s all about the power.”
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