S P Holding’s ‘cool running’ Volvo cleans up for major utilities

Shropshire-based S P Holding Services Limited are using a new Volvo FM9-340 6x4 rigid, equipped with a Eurovac 1200 high-pressure jetting and suction system, to provide major water utilities throughout the Midlands, Wales and the West, with a rapid response sewer clean-up service.

Supplied by Volvo Dealer Harsthorne Motor Services in Shrewsbury, this is the company’s first FM9, but Managing Director and Owner Steve Holding is pleased with the truck’s reliability and its ability to manoeuvre in areas with tight access.

The new 26 tonne GVW Volvo, christened ‘Cool Running’ by Steve Holding, was purchased as a high specification platform for the new state of the art Eurovac Aegeus vactor system. The chassis’ combination of double-drive and relatively short wheelbase for this type of application of 4.9 metres, ensures good traction and manoeuvrability whether the truck is working in urban or rural neighbourhoods. The D9A340 engine develops 1600 Nm of torque at 1200–1400 rpm which helps maintain over the road journey times in what is often a time-critical service where disruption has to be minimised and customers cannot be kept waiting.

S P Holding Services is a family owned business offering a full 365 day, year round service with even Christmas Day being a normal part of the working week. This intensive level of service demands reliability from the truck and excellent back-up from the Dealer network, says Steve Holding. "The vehicle is very highly spec’d. If we get a call out at 2am, we need to know that we can just turn the key and go. The Volvo FM9 is delivering that for us so far and the back up we get from Hartshorne at Shrewsbury and Walsall is great, they bend over backwards for us."

The specification of the Globetrotter cabbed rigid contains many features which contribute to its purposeful appearance while ensuring its ability to cope with a range of working environments. These include B-ride two-spring bogie rear suspension, high mounted brake chambers and vertical exhaust with 4’ Eminox tail-pipe.

The Eurovac 1200 is used to clear large bore pipelines and culverts of wet and semi-dry material such as bricks, bottles or compacted sewage. Able to operate between minus 12 psi and plus 5 psi, the 1200 is fitted with separate stainless steel water and debris tanks equipped with debris level alarms. The hose reel carries 200 metres of 25.4 mm hose. The system’s exhauster is driven by a Volvo TWD 740E 184 kW auxiliary engine and the hydraulically operated boom system on the debris tank features pendant controls which can be used on either side.