Ivor King’s Volvo Euro 4 FH16-660 is “the kit for the job.”

Nuneaton-based sheet piling contractors Ivor King have selected a Volvo FH16-660 to haul their heavy plant, citing its “fantastic performance” and the excellent service from supplying Volvo Dealer Hartshorne as the key factors in their choice of marque and model.

Plated for operation at 150 tonnes GCW, the 6x4 tractor unit is used to deliver the company’s own cranes and piling machines, weighing up to 70 tonnes, to building sites across the UK, on a four-axle low-loader.

“We had been running a second-hand FH12,” says Simon King, son of founder Ivor, “plated for operation at 140 tonnes, but it was clear we needed a bigger engine.” Like many plant hauliers and operators, he has noticed a slow, but steady increase in equipment weight in recent years. “It was partly the extra power that made us go for the 660bhp version,” he adds, “and partly the fact that it has hub-reduction axles. The performance is fantastic, and the same goes for the I-Shift gearbox. It really is the bit of kit for the job – and we’ve always been served well by Hartshorne.”

The truck is equipped with the Volvo Engine Brake – “It seems to work as well as a retarder,” according to Simon – and a Globetrotter XL cab in ‘Prestige’ trim with leather seats. The double sleeper is essential for King Piling’s nationwide business, which often requires overnights and a second driver. Because of the plated weight, rear suspension is steel. The FH16’s Euro 4-compliant engine is supplied with AdBlue from an integrally bunded container at the company’s yard.

Repair and maintenance will be carried out by Volvo Dealer Hartshorne under a standard, two-year contract.