HARSH AND CUTHBERTSON CREATE YEAR-ROUND CAPABILITY FOR HIGHLAND COUNCIL

27 November 2020

GRITTER, TIPPER OR SNOWLPOUGH. HARSH AND CUTHBERTSON CREATE YEAR – ROUND CAPABILITY FOR HIGHLAND COUNCIL

Inverness – based Highland Council is now taking delivery of a trio of new 12t DAF LFs that have been carefully configured to offer the highest possible operating versatility – whatever the season of the year.

At the centre of these vehicles’ specification is the powerful yet lightweight HARSH HH8 hookloader system which is used to load and off-load multiple types of bodywork. For most of the year, the council’s requirement is for its trucks to work as tippers, whilst in the harsher winter conditions the need switches more to gritters and snowploughs.

“The beauty of the HARSH hookloader system is that it makes swapping bodies very simple” says Ewan Tolson, sales manager of bodybuilder James A. Cuthbertson Ltd of Biggar, Lanarkshire. He adds “It’s a fast, easy and straightforward process, one that’s exactly the same for any type of body. The key is that the hydraulics to operate the system always remain on the truck, so the vehicle operator is not having to deal with complexities such as demount tipper bodies having their own separate oil systems.  This also makes bodybuilding simpler and more efficient, too.

The HARSH HH8 hookloader is ideal for lower gvw operations such as this because it’s easy to install, has a full 8 tonnes lift capacity, is very robust whilst also being notably light in weight.”

As well as the gritter bodies, Cuthbertson is also supplying each truck with a detachable straight blade snowplough and a demount dropside tipper body. These particular DAF LFs are notable too in that although having a relatively low 12t gvw, they also feature powerful 230hp engines, providing not only excellent overall performance whilst also giving a high degree of ‘push’ when clearing snow.

Colin Hayes, HARSH’s Business Development Manager for Scotland says “These new hookloaders for Highland Council are a further example of the growing popularity of the hookloader concept with lighter gvw trucks. By being able to carry many different bodytypes, the hookloader gives the operator the huge advantage of effectively being many trucks in one. Not just that,  but the system also offers a ‘future proof’ ability to diversify with different types of bodies as changing needs might dictate. 

HARSH is really carving itself a niche in this marketplace, not least because our hookloaders are proving themselves time and again for being inherently reliable, safe and easy to operate.”

These trucks are the latest example of the notably successful relationship between HARSH and Cuthbertson. The two companies have worked closely together for many years, thereby building up a considerable combined expertise in all areas of vehicles working in the specialist highways services sector.

Founded over 80 years ago, Cuthbertson’s products are renowned for their innovation, practicality and ‘Clyde Built’ construction, all of which contribute to their premium levels of performance, reliability and minimal cost of ownership.