If you are investing in specifying and building an expensive crane truck it is important to make sure that the chassis is the right specification and comes from a premium brand. If you get the wrong chassis it may reflect poorly on the whole completed truck.
O’Carroll Haulage & Crane Hire has taken no chances with the delivery of their new Volvo FH420 8×2 drawbar rigid, which joins an almost exclusively Volvo fleet.
Supplied by Michael Walsh, Sales Executive at McCarthy Commercials, the new FH is powered by Volvo’s D13K engine, delivering up to 420 hp and 2,100 Nm of torque, and driven through Volvo’s automated 12-speed I-Shift gearbox.
Trust in the Brand
Maurice O’Carroll, Managing Director at O’Carroll Haulage & Crane Hire, says: “Volvo is a brand that we know and trust. We’ve never had any reason to look elsewhere. The FH is as reliable as they come, and the fuel figures are also strong.
“The team at McCarthys look after us well, the support we get from them is always what we’d expect. Overall, it’s just a great package – an unrivalled one, in our opinion.”
The Crane Truck Specification
The tag-axle FH rigid is equipped with a flatbed body and a PM Crane, supplied by Bennett Crane & Truck. Used for crane haulage work across the whole of Ireland, it is fitted with an electro-hydraulic steered rear axle which helps to maximise manoeuvrability when delivering to sites with limited access.
Built on a 6,000m wheelbase, the new FH – replacing an older Volvo in the family-owned business’ busy fleet – features rear air suspension and is painted in the company’s eye-catching Delhi red livery.
Inside the sleeper cab, the truck has been specified with a Drive+ package including fully electronic air conditioning with sun, mist, and air quality sensors and a carbon filter, two armrests on the driver’s seat, plus adjustable steering wheel with neck tilt. A one bed living package improves comfort further with additional rear cab storage space, a 40mm mattress topper, and a luxury sleeper control panel.
The working environment is completed with a Media package, including navigation, which provides a complete infotainment experience, with DAB radio and a dynamic 12-inch high-resolution instrument cluster, plus an accompanying secondary colour information display.
The Driver’s View
“The driver absolutely loves his new truck,” adds O’Carroll. “He’s been with us for a couple of years now. He used to be a big fan of a rival manufacturer, but as soon as he got into a Volvo he vowed to never go back! Keeping our drivers happy is very important to us, so that was great to hear.”
Backed by a three-year Volvo Blue Contract, covering all preventative maintenance, the FH is expected to clock-up in the region of 120,000 km per year.
O’Carroll Haulage & Crane Hire is a family-owned business that has been in operation for more than 20 years. The company provides transport solutions for a wide range of customers and industries throughout Ireland, including the building and construction sector, private sector, Irish Rail, energy company ESB and Gardai.