Payload pays off for Plantspeed with Volvo FH16-660

Avonmouth-based heavy haulage operator Plantspeed has taken delivery of a new Volvo FH16-660, equipped with front chassis extensions and the latest VEB+ engine brake. The 8x4 tractor unit is plated for operation at 150 tonnes GCW and forms part of an order for six trucks, the remainder of which will be Volvo FH-520 6x2 tag axle tractor units, plated at 80 tonnes.

“We’ve been using Volvo’s for about three years now,” says Plantspeed’s owner, Paul Lomas. “They’re good all-round trucks, well-built with a strong driveline and a good Dealer network to back them up. Certainly we get very good support from Wales and West Truck and Bus at Avonmouth, who are supplying this order. This new truck will give us about 100 tonnes of payload and that will help us keep our customers happy – they’ll know we can handle pretty much any load they’ll give us. The chassis extensions will come into their own in moving mobile tower cranes on construction sites.”

The new VEB+ engine brake offers a revised cam profile allowing it to generate some 550 bhp of retardation – considerably more force than the engine output of any non-FH16 truck in the Volvo range – and removing the need for a separate retarder. “It’s very good indeed,” says Paul. “We have the old VEB on another rig and that’s good, but in this business a strong engine brake is really important; we run on the brakes all the time.”

Like all heavy-haulage Volvo’s, this FH16 is equipped with an I-Shift automated gearbox. Its two-bunked Globetrotter XL cab is specified to offer maximum comfort for the driver and attendant on long routes.

The truck will usually be away from the depot for the entire working week and the crew enjoy amenities including a fridge, CD player and heated, vented seats on both sides of the cab, rather than for the driver only.

Wales and West Truck and Bus look forward to continuing their strong relationship with Plantspeed, which includes vehicle maintenance at their Avonmouth depot.