South East Cranes get a lift with productive Euro 5 Volvo FE rigids

Walton-on-Thames-based South East Cranes (SEC) is offering customers the services of two new Volvo FE-320 rigids which have recently joined the crane truck company’s specialist hire fleet.

The new 26 tonne GVW FE’s - one of which is equipped with a steering rear axle - were supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre London, Hayes. They are maintained on an R&M contract at the Volvo Dealer’s Croydon depot.

The PM lorry loaders were fitted to the FE’s by SEC, who specialise in the engineering and fitting of truck mounted cranes to chassis cabs – including the manufacturing and fitting of sub-frames and servicing and annual testing of the installation.

The new Volvo’s are on top of the job, says SEC Director Duncan Saunders, “They can be working in London all day and they’re good urban trucks. We have used them on jobs on the Olympic site, for example, and we find the nine-speed range change gearbox is very good for this type of application. They’re as manoeuvrable as a four-wheeler, but carry significantly more payload. We buy Volvo’s because we know they will last the course. They’re productive trucks and the drivers like them.”

The sleeper-cabbed, 6x2 tag-axle FE’s are the first Euro 5 compliant trucks to join the expanding fleet and are thus exempt from charges for entry into the London Low Emission Zone.

SEC has also recently expanded into full contract hire of trucks kitted out with cranes. This is part of a planned expansion, says Duncan, which sees the company now offering customers a one stop shop service which includes the specifying and fitting of cranes in SEC’s own workshops.

“Contract Hire is a brand new service for us and there’s a lot of interest,” adds Duncan, “We can now also provide a comprehensive Fleet Management Service for operators, with Repair and Maintenance contracts on the crane and the truck. We will look after all ‘O’ licence compliance issues regarding maintenance and even tachos.”