Spanners Mixer Hire have it large with first FH truckmixer in UK

Spanners Mixer Hire of Peterborough is operating the UK’s first Volvo FH 6x4 truckmixer. The Globetrotter-cabbed Volvo FH-400 is equipped with ‘Prestige’ trim including full leather upholstery, climate control and CD player.

According to Spanners owner Peter Spooncer, the FH delivers a 6m³ payload and, at 3.81 metres high front and rear, access to batching plants is not compromised. He made the decision to specify the full-sleeper FH on a 26 tonne GVW truckmixer chassis to give the driver the best possible working and living environment. The company operates a one man, one truck policy with the 14-strong Spanners Mixer Hire fleet working all across the UK, often necessitating up to four nights out a week for the driver. Annual mileage is around 45,000 kms and the FH is expected to have a 10-year working life.

Currently on-hire with driver to all the major ready-mix concrete suppliers, the FH is often engaged on 1000m³ a day pours such as new shopping centre floors, footings and civil engineering projects. The 6m³ mixer drum, which is driven by a rear engine mounted Volvo PTO, was manufactured by Liebherr and fitted to the chassis at their plant in Germany.

Peter, who has operated mixers for the last 15 years and has a career in transport that stretches back 33 years, specified the FH with straight front axles for optimum ground clearance and Volvo’s automated I-Shift transmission with the ‘Construction’ software package, which he describes as ‘excellent’.

He also praises the I-Shift transmission for its ability to maintain very low speeds smoothly during specialist mixer operations. “The I-Shift is very good for kerbing, particularly when we are working alongside an Extrudakerb machine, as the truck can be moved forward at speeds as slow as one foot per minute without stalling or baulking. Manoeuvring in reverse is also helped by the I-Shift as the truck is sometimes reversed for up to a mile just to get to the delivery point.”

The Globetrotter cab, which is kitted out with additional light bars and stainless steel stone guards, makes the truck a high profile advertisement for the image-conscious firm. As Peter says, “The Volvo certainly stands out from the crowd and it ensures that customers remember us.”

The truck was supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia with back-up provided via the Dealer’s Peterborough depot.