TRANSPORT
EXPANDING GROWTH AND STORAGE WITH A COMBI-CB
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J Mullen, based in Moy, Co. Tyrone, is now in its third generation and has grown to provide virtually everything needed to build, renovate and
decorate homes and gardens. It is extending its premises and has built a new storage shed to accommodate even more stock. A recent new arrival on site is a Combi-CB multidirectional forklift which is a key piece of equipment to enable further expansion to go ahead. “We realised that efficient storage would be an important factor for successful growth and our previous methods of block stacking products and using a conventional forklift was not ideal,” said director Shane Mullen. “When we discussed our plans with Chris Macartney of Dawson Materials Handling Equipment he suggested we look at the Combi-CB rather than the reach truck that we had originally considered.” Cantilever racking, which enables higher and safer storage than block stacking, was installed to a height of 5m in the yard to coincide with the delivery of the truck and more bays are planned for the new undercover storage area. Thanks to the multidirectional capability of the Combilift, aisle widths between racking were
configured to be much narrower than the 5m+ that would have been required with less manoeuvrable forklifts and Shane reckons that around 40% more capacity has been created with this new combination.
The Combi-CB forklifts, available with lift capacities of up to 4t and with electric, diesel or LPG power options, were the first on the market to combine compact counterbalance design with multidirectional capability and were aimed at those operations needing to handle mixed loads. The truck is not only multidirectional but multi-use according to Shane and its versatility enables it to load, offload and move 6m long packs of timber, lengths of plasterboard as well as pallets of bricks and blocks and cement. The company chose a diesel powered model with a 3,000kg lift capacity and a duplex 5.5m mast, which enables it to pass under a low doorway as well as to safely and easily lift the heaviest loads - packs of timber weighing around 2.5 tonnes - to the top beam of racking outside. The Combi-CB has also enhanced overall safety as its ability to transport long loads sideways has eliminated lifting at height
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MERCHANTS PUT FAITH IN IVECO’S LATEST VEHICLE MODELS
imber, building & fencing supplier Lawsons has taken delivery of its first four IVECO Daily Hi-Matic 3.5-tonne chassis cabs, while the suitability of IVECO’s Stralis X-WAY for tackling final mile deliveries onto construction sites has seen MKM Building Supplies place its first order for this new model.
The new IVECO vehicles join Lawson’s 25-strong light commercial fleet, with three Dailys operating from Lawsons’ Camden depot and one from its branch in Belvedere, delivering supplies to customers across London and the South East.
Mike Kelly, group transport assistant manager at Lawsons, says “We considered IVECO for our light commercials as we’ve previously struggled to get the aftersales
support we really needed. If we had a problem with a 3.5-tonner, we’d drop it off at the nearest dealer, but a technician might not be able look at it for days!
“The Hi-Matic gearbox makes them very easy to drive” adds Kelly. “Being able to carry an extra 100kg of payload is a real bonus. We plan to introduce our first CNG-powered Dailys into the fleet later this year.”
Powered by a 2.3-litre diesel engine delivering up to 136hp and 350 Nm of torque, each Daily 35C14 is mounted with an Ingimex dropside body and equipped with a five camera system, to increase driver visibility of cyclists and pedestrians on London’s busy roads. Similar to the Stralis NP truck, all four vehicles are compliant with the city’s new Ultra-Low Emission Zone, which came into force in April 2019.
The company expects to order its first Daily Hi-Matic Blue Power NP vehicles once the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and Department for Transport finalise a training syllabus for the five hours’ training its Category B drivers will need to complete before they can drive 4.2-tonne alternative-fuelled vehicles on a standard 3.5-tonne licence. This new legislation means operators can transition to alternative fuel vehicles without any loss of payload versus a traditional 3.5-tonner.
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MKM is taking delivery of 10 new Stralis X-WAY 6x4 rigids – supplied by Billingham- based North East Truck & Van (NETV) – as part of its ongoing fleet replacement programme. It was chosen for its suitability for light off-road missions.
The Stralis X-WAY’s modular construction allows vehicles to be specified to meet customer needs both on and off-road. MKM Building Supplies chose the ‘ON’ version – which provides on-road homologation on a reinforced chassis, with easy cab access and optimum visibility for the safest working conditions. The range also includes ON+ and OFF models, for vehicles which spend more time off-road.
Shane Thompson, head of transport at MKM Building Supplies, says “Each Stralis X-WAY (AD260X31Y/PS) is powered by IVECO’s lightweight 8.7-litre Cursor 9 diesel engine which delivers 310 hp and 1,300 Nm of torque.”
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2019
around obstacles, parked vehicles or other products, which is inherently risky. Other features are beneficial to the drivers, who report that it is very easy and comfortable to operate: the hydraulic fork positioner operated from inside the cab allows the forks to be adjusted for the varying sizes of loads without drivers needing to repeatedly get in and out, saving considerable time and effort as the truck is in constant use throughout the working day. Better service is a further by-product of the new system as Shane explains: “The extra storage space we have created means we can buy in stock in bulk at a better price and pass this saving onto our customers.”
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