Sweepers are usually configured in a standard and predictable layout. The truck will have a day cab, sometimes left-hand drive, well-powered and compact in size.

This is what makes the new Volvo FM sweepers specified by Redditch-based Kelly Plant Hire somewhat out of the ordinary… The company is the first in the UK to put the new Volvo FM into operation in a road sweeper application. There won’t be many at all fitted with Globetrotter cabs.

Sweeper Trucks at Silverstone
The new FMs will be making their debut this weekend at Silverstone, home of British Motor Racing, which is hosting the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix

The FM Sweeper Specification

The three FM 380 Globetrotter 4×2 rigids are riding on rear air-suspension and mounted with Back to Black rear suction sweeper bodywork from The Bucher Group.

Kelly Plant Hire says the new machines stand apart from regular road sweepers for their ability to conduct an ultra-high-pressure clean in one pass, penetrating deep into the crevices of the tarmac’s surface in a way that standard road sweepers cannot.

The trucks will predominantly be used to support major infrastructure development projects across the UK, as well as handling specialist jobs such as motorsport and airport work as required. They carry a special livery to reflect the company’s position as a corporate partner for Midlands Air Ambulance – helping to promote the charity’s life-saving work wherever the trucks are operating.

Kelly explains: “Being able to deliver a deep clean in one pass is a huge advantage for our business. Race circuits and airports will often require an intensive clean to be conducted within a short window, which suits these rear-suction machines perfectly.”

Sweeper high power Volvo FM
The new machines stand apart from regular road sweepers for their ability to conduct an ultra-high-pressure clean in one pass

Each new Volvo FM benefits from a high specification, including a spacious Globetrotter sleeper cab and four additional option packs, adding key features including armrests on the heated driver’s seat, electrically controlled air-conditioning, parking heater and cornering lights. On-board safety features include Forward Collision Warning with emergency braking and Lane Keeping Support.

Racing Sweepers

The new FMs will be making their debut this weekend at Silverstone, home of British Motor Racing, which is hosting the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix. Kelly Plant Hire is fielding six sweepers to support the event, with each of the new trucks benefitting from a full width rear suction vacuum facility and ultra-high-pressure jets for a faster and more efficient ‘back to black’ finish.

Supplied by Rory Kelly, Transport Solutions Executive at Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East’s Coventry depot, the new model FMs have been built on a 4,300mm wheelbase and have Volvo’s new digital driver interface, which is designed to simplify the driver’s interactions and minimise distractions when accessing critical information.

Volvo FM Sweepers Globetrotter Cabs
Redditch-based Kelly Plant Hire has become the first operator in the UK to put the new Volvo FM into operation in a road sweeper application

Shaun Kelly, Managing Director of Kelly Plant Hire, says: “We love having Volvos on the fleet and we’re excited to be getting some of the first of these new models in the country. You never have an unhappy driver if you give them the keys to a Volvo; our team love them, and these new trucks look absolutely fantastic in our livery and are loaded with kit.”

The trucks will be fully maintained within the Volvo Trucks dealer network, with three identical FM sweepers on order and expected to enter operation later this year.