100 not out for Milbank’s Volvo FH-400

Colchester-based crane truck specialists Milbank Trucks have taken delivery of their 100th truck – a Volvo FH-400 christened “Centurion”. The I-shift automated gearbox equipped 8x2 rigid is the latest in a line of Volvo’s going back to 1983, and will carry out a variety of work from machinery to site cabin transport, running at 32 tonnes GCW normally or at 44 tonnes GTW when a triaxle trailer is hitched to its drawbar coupling.

Milbank’s Managing Director, Dave Watson, attributes the company’s long association with Volvo to the marque’s quality and backup. “They’re very reliable,” he says, “the drivers like them, and we’ve always had very good service from Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia at both Ipswich and Thetford and they will continue to maintain the vehicle on an extended contract when its initial two year service agreement expires.”

The truck is equipped with a Cormach 65000 E6 crane, offering 65 tonne metre capacity and a reach of 14.7m – which enables it to unload from the drawbar rig without having to jack-knife. It is stabilised by two pairs of outriggers, fitted abeam of the crane and behind the rear axle, which steers and lifts for optimum manoeuvrability on confined building sites. “The I-Shift can handle the amount of off-road work we do,” says Dave, “and provides good driver acceptance – it certainly makes it easier in heavy London traffic.” This was also the main factor in the choice of Prestige trim for the cab.

The unusual names go back to Milbank’s fifth truck, the “Mammoth Mover”; after that came a sequence of vehicles named after TV’s gladiators, followed by a sideways move into classical mythology. Last year, Dave tracked down their first ever truck – a Volvo F7 6x4 rigid – and bought it back. It is now in their yard, awaiting restoration.