HARSH TRACTOR KITS CENTRAL TO CAREFOOT’S TOP SPEC FLEET UPDATE

15 January 2018

Proven time and again for their performance and reliability, HARSH tractor kits (TKs) are now the standard fit on all the latest tractor units joining the highly regarded bulk tipper fleet of Walter Carefoot & Sons (Transport) Ltd.

Based in Longridge, Lancashire, Carefoot’s is nearing completion of a substantial fleet update programme that will give the company one of the most modern, productive and efficient tipper fleets anywhere in the UK. With another New Generation Scania R450 just having gone on the road this January (with a further six due for delivery in the spring), 2018 will see the total Carefoot truck fleet reach 40 vehicles.

Carefoot’s Operations Director Rob Dean says, “it makes clear sense to us to operate top specification trucks that deliver the best possible operating returns. Every part of the truck is equally important in delivering that result, whether that be the engine or the tipping equipment. Tractor kits are perhaps only a small part of a bigger whole, but they’re vital – without them the tipper simply doesn’t tip. We choose HARSH TKs because they are light, compact, easy to fit and above all reliable. As such, they complement trucks such as the latest New Generation Scanias perfectly.”

Designed to tip trailers in a smooth and fast operation, the heart of a HARSH TK is an ultra-reliable high pressure bent axis piston pump. Combining reduced size with bi-rotational direction, the pump is ideally suited to work with the widest variety of ptos and gearboxes. Oil tanks, made from lightweight aluminium, can be fitted to either the chassis side rail or behind the truck cab.

Increasingly popular with tipper operators, Carefoot’s latest Scania tractors also feature a lighter mid-lift axle fitted with 17.5” wheels. This feature offers the dual benefit of not only a 300kgs weight saving over a standard – spec 6×2 tractor but also a small but valuable increase in chassis space, thereby providing additional room for fitting HARSH’s lightweight, compact 200 litre side – mounted aluminium hydraulic oil tank.

Working in conjunction with SDC trailers and principally carrying aggregates or agricultural products, payload is a respectable 28.5 tonnes. Additionally, a 130cu.yds Legras remote control walking floor trailer has also joined the Carefoot fleet with the HARSH TK unit equally suited to powering this tractor / trailer combination too.

Despite uncertain times at the national level, Carefoot’s tippers are now working harder than ever, hence the additional units to join the fleet in 2018. Further improving overall fleet performance, trucks will now stay with Carefoot’s for just 3 years as opposed to the company’s previous 5 years replacement policy. This way, Carefoot can take full advantage of all the latest truck technologies whilst also achieving the highest possible residual values for their vehicles.

The Carefoot transport business is one of three key elements of Carefoot PLC, the Group having extensive additional activities in construction and properties. Founded by Walter Carefoot in Preston in 1929, the family – owned business continues to go from strength to strength, with its instantly recognizable yellow and brown artic tippers a familiar sight on roads all across the UK.

Carefoot’s Scania trucks are supplied by the Preston branch of Scania main dealer Haydock Commercials Ltd which has five locations covering North West England and North Wales.

When specifying tractor units going to tipper operators, Haydock’s Sales Director Craig Hargreaves confirms that HARSH TKs are his dealership’s first choice for providing the necessary tipping power.

“Why? Because it’s simply the best package on the market.”