“WE SKIP THE REST – BECAUSE IT’S HARSH SERVICE THAT REALLY COUNTS” SAYS EA BARNES

7 April 2025

EA Barnes & Sons Ltd of Lichfield, Staffordshire, has just added another HARSH unit to its 15 – strong waste disposal fleet, this time an 18t skiploader that will work alongside similar previous vehicles, as well as a smaller HARSH 12t skiploader and a 32t HARSH hookloader.

So why is HARSH now so much to the fore in this longstanding, hard – working family firm?

Director Jeff Smith says “All our HARSH equipment has proved really robust and reliable, which of course is as it should be. But where HARSH is really different is in its back-up and service support. When we ever need it, perhaps for parts supply or to address a maintenance issue, someone from HARSH is on the case straight away. This is a completely different level of response from our previous bodywork suppliers – we now skip the rest because for us it’s HARSH service that really counts.”

This latest HARSH skiploader has also upped the Barnes fleet profile by being fitted to a latest – spec 250hp Volvo FL chassis. Purpose – designed for urban operations the FL chassis and its skip platform combines high manoeuvrability with a competitive unladen weight of just over 9 tonnes.

Whilst primarily choosing HARSH for its Service support, the new skiploader also impresses Adam, its regular driver – particularly for its ability to make life that bit easier in an often hectic working day.

“Aside from the skiploader’s powerful performance, the latest HARSH hand – held remote control makes a huge difference” he says, “it really speeds up the job and of course you can stand anywhere around the truck for full 360 degree visibility, which is a big safety bonus as well.

When delivering a skip, the ability to see anywhere around the truck also means that you can position the skip on the ground with much more accuracy than when using the traditional fixed position side levers. In tight spaces such as residential driveways, this is a real bonus.”

Also speeding up the job and making the driver’s life easier is HARSH’s exterior mounted push – button control sheeting system. Simple to use, one pair of buttons raises or lowers the tower holding the sheet storage box, the other extends the sheet backwards or retracts it forwards.

Whether the truck is carrying a heavily laden builder’s skip or a driveway mini-skip, any size of skip can be covered in seconds.

“If these latest HARSH technologies can save us even 5 minutes on every skip we handle, that could add up to around 40 minutes a day” says Jeff, “or maybe even one extra job per shift. More than ever, it’s all about getting the maximum amount of work we can out of the truck. So anything that adds to our overall productivity is definitely worth having!”

Working within a 20 mile range of Lichfield, EA Barnes’ customers will sadly have a hard job actually seeing the new HARSH skiploader – simply because it will have been and gone before they recognise it!