First heavyweight Trakker recovery vehicle for Dragon Rescue

Cardiff-based Dragon Rescue, one of the largest breakdown rescue businesses in the UK, has added an Iveco Trakker 8x4 to its fleet of heavyweight recovery vehicles.

On standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Trakker is fitted with a Brimec Commander CL500H recovery body, built by industry specialist Roger Dyson, and features twin 35,000 kg winches, with a top boom, Maxi Reach Underlift and side and rear stabiliser legs.

Valued at over £200,000, the Trakker AD340T44 joins a fleet of 45 recovery vehicles and represents the first of Iveco’s new generation of on/off road heavyweight Trakker chassis to enter operation in a vehicle recovery role in the UK.

Andrew Archbold, Director of Dragon Rescue, says: “The Trakker’s comprehensive specification has seen it take its place as one of our frontline response vehicles for commercial vehicle recovery. Its heavy duty specification means it can cope with just about every possible recovery scenario.”

Dragon Rescue’s status as an approved supplier to all of the motoring organisations means the vehicle is expected to perform up to 40 major recovery operations per week. It will also be on-call with South Wales Police, for recovering stolen commercial vehicles or those which have been involved in road traffic collisions.

With a gross train weight of 80,000 kg, the Trakker is powered by Iveco’s Cursor 13 engine, rated at 440 hp, and is capable of producing up to 2,100 Nm of torque between 1,000 and 1,460 rev/min.

The vehicle benefits from a cab width of just 2.28 m, ensuring vehicle manoeuvrability in confined spaces is excellent, thus reducing risk of collision with obstacles. The cab also benefits from anti-slip access steps which makes getting in or out even safer and features a bottom step which is flexible, so if it makes contact with an obstacle whilst manoeuvring, it simply bends and then returns to its original shape. The Trakker is also fitted with an all-steel bumper, consisting of three sections, which helps to minimise replacement costs if damaged.

Inside the Trakker cab, the driver’s seat has air suspension and is fully adjustable with a headrest and an integrated seatbelt. It is upholstered in vinyl which makes it easy to wipe clean.