News

 Director of Palfinger UK, Alan Johnson, has recently been announced as the newly appointed Chairman of the Lorry Loader trade association, ALLMI.

Alan has over 30 years experience in the lorry loader industry and his involvement with ALLMI dates back to the late 1990s.

After leading a ‘future direction’ working group in the early 2000s, Johnson served as ALLMI Chairman between 2003 and 2006 before choosing to stand down.  Since then, his commitment to ALLMI has remained constant, having retained his Board position to this day, including seven years employed as the Association’s Technical Director between 2009 and 2016.

Alan comments “I’m extremely honoured to be appointed to the Chairman’s role.  I look forward to working with the Board and membership in order to expand ALLMI’s reach and further strengthen its excellent reputation, whilst always being focused on improving standards and promoting collaboration and shared learning throughout all parts of the lorry loader industry.”

To find out more about Palfinger UK visit www.palfinger.co.uk

When Darren Lappin, the owner of DMR Haulage, expressed an interest in learning more about the Palfinger product as part of his new vehicle purchase, the Palfinger UK team decided the best way for him to experience the features was to try them for himself – at the Palfinger headquarters in Austria!

Accompanied by truck sales representative Jack Nutley, Darren was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the Palfinger factory near Salzburg in Austria, to find out more about the brand, specification options and how he will benefit from his very own Palfinger crane.

Together with Palfinger UK’s south east area sales manager Chris Lucchesi and marketing executive Cassie Maxfield, Darren and Jack travelled to Austria for a three-day trip in February.

“We are delighted that Darren was able to take the opportunity to see the manufacturing facilities for himself,” said Palfinger UK’s Chris. “He was able to meet many members of the Palfinger team in Austria, experience a range of different crane specifications in a safe environment and ask lots of questions to learn for himself why Palfinger cranes are the global market leaders.”

The visitors were given a guided tour of the factory in Lengau, Upper Austria, seeing first-hand the journey of a Palfinger crane in production – from cutting, bending and welding the base materials, through to the 14-step coating and painting processing, and finally the fitting, mounting and testing departments.

Before they departed, Darren was able to get ‘hands-on’ with real Palfinger cranes at the specialist Demo Centre in Salzburg. Spending the entire afternoon there with dedicated Palfinger sales trainer Florian Kaiser, Darren and the group were able to use a range of Palfinger cranes. “This enabled Darren to experience all the options, from joystick controls through to P-Fold automatic folding, winch systems and fly jibs,” commented Cassie. “As a result, he was able to make an informed decision on a crane that will be an integral part of his business for many years to come – hugely important for an owner-operator such as Darren whose livelihood depends on his vehicle.”

Palfinger UK’s new recruit Zoe Ellis is proving her exceptional training ability only 8 weeks into her new role, with a near-perfect audit score from ALLMI.

The audit was part of Zoe’s reaccreditation upon joining the Palfinger UK training team. She achieved a mightily impressive 97.5% score, receiving 307 points from a possible 315 in total, her highest audit score to date.

Zoe joined the business in October and is responsible for providing ALLMI accredited Lorry Loader Operator and slinger/signaller training in the East of England. She was delighted with her score, “I know that I am a competent trainer with plenty of industry experience,’ she said, “but it was great to receive such a high score on the audit to support that. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge with customers to help them achieve their ALLMI qualifications.”

Zoe joins an already established team of three full-time ALLMI trainers at Palfinger UK who provide accredited, HSE recognised training throughout the country at customer locations and our depots in Falkirk, Bradford and Devizes.

To find out more about training from Palfinger UK, or to request a price for training with Zoe or another member of the team, visit www.palfinger.co.uk/training and complete the online enquiry form.

The Palfinger UK team had the pleasure of supporting Mercedes-Benz at their ‘Unimog on the Farm’ events. 

These one-day events, held at locations across the UK, are aimed at individuals and businesses operating vehicles in the agriculture and arboriculture industries, showcasing the capabilities of the versatile Mercedes-Benz Unimog.

  During the events, Palfinger UK displayed a Unimog-mounted PK 12.502 SH B boom crane, with a reach of 10.3m and capacity of 1040kg at that distance. The body preparation and fitting, crane mounting and body painting was all carried out in Palfinger UK’s 17-bay workshops in Devizes, Wiltshire.

  Additionally, visitors on each day were invited to take part in a fun, practical activity for a chance to win a Palfinger watch. The challenge – to manoeuvre a tennis ball attached to the crane hook around a series of positions onto the top of road cones, as quickly and accurately as possible.

  National Key Account Manager for Palfinger UK, Tex Allen, commented: “This was an excellent series of events and we were delighted to be able to support our friends at Mercedes-Benz to raise the profile of the perfect pairing of a Unimog vehicle with Palfinger crane. Being able to run the interactive competition brought some fun to our display too, and certainly brought attention to the vehicle.”

  Events were held at Mercedes-Benz Trucks Events Centre in Barnsley, Jimmy’s Farm in Ipswich, Cotswold Farm Park in Cheltenham and The 3 Buffalo Farm in Scotland.

  Speak to the Palfinger UK team today to learn more about the wide variety of Unimog and truck mounting options for Palfinger cranes – call 01380 733513 or visit www.palfinger.co.uk

Having decided to expand the ALLMI lorry loader training provision in the East of the England, Palfinger UK naturally sought out a recruit of the highest calibre to join the already exceptional team. Cue, Zoe Ellis.

Zoe is not your average ‘teacher’. With a passion for heavy machinery and a wealth of experience in truck driving and training, Zoe is the perfect addition to the Palfinger UK team.

Zoe obtained her HGV Class 2 licence in 2007, and moving on to achieve her Class 1 licence in 2008. From there she embarked on a lorry driving career spanning 11 years. After many years practically living in her cab, Zoe opted for a change in lifestyle, whilst still wanting to stay in the industry she knew and loved. With a passion for training, and a friendly and enthusiastic personality to boot, Zoe decided to put herself through training to become an ALLMI instructor.

“I loved driving trucks but also wanted a more settled life away from weekly truck-stop stays and sleeping in cab. So I decided to take the plunge in 2014 and qualify as a trainer. Over the past 11 years I’ve been lucky enough to drive a really wide range of vehicles and use loader cranes from every manufacturer. In my experience Palfinger are the ‘crème de la crème’ of cranes, excellent quality, simple to use and designed with the operator in mind.

When I was offered the role of ALLMI trainer at Palfinger UK I was genuinely over the moon. It’s not often that you hear of people being offered their dream job, but that is exactly what has happened to me.”

Since joining the team at the end of September, Zoe has spent time getting to know the three existing instructors and the training co-ordinator at Palfinger UK, as well as meeting the wider teams in the sales, service and production departments. 

Palfinger UK offers ALLMI accredited, HSE-recognised lorry loader safety courses across the UK, with training delivered either at our facilities in Falkirk, Bradford and Devizes, or on-site at your premises. Additionally, we can register attendees for seven hours of JAUPT Approved Driver CPC qualifying time. Visit www.palfinger.co.uk/training to learn more and contact us to discuss your training requirements further.

When looking to expand the ALLMI lorry loader training provision in the East of the country, Palfinger UK naturally sought out a recruit of the highest calibre to join the already exceptional team. Cue, Zoe Ellis.

Zoe is not your average teacher. With a passion for heavy machinery and a wealth of experience in truck driving and training, Zoe is the perfect addition to the Palfinger UK team.

“I’ve always been passionate about machinery and hydraulics. My father was an engineer, so we always had go-carts and quad bikes at home as kids, and that sparked my fascination with trucks and cranes from a young age, the bigger the truck the better!”

Originally working at Stansted Airport as an Aircraft Dispatcher, Zoe decided to move into a driving career, obtaining her HGV Class 2 licence in 2007, and moving on to achieve her Class 1 licence in 2008.

From there Zoe embarked on a lorry driving career spanning 11 years initially with a local builder’s merchant, then with Seven Lincs, transporting containers across the country, and subsequently with a wide range of businesses including builders’ merchants and haulage companies.

After many years practically living out of her cab, Zoe opted for a change in lifestyle, whilst still wanting to stay in the industry she knew and loved. With a passion for training, and a friendly and enthusiastic personality to boot, Zoe decided to put herself through training to become an ALLMI instructor.

“I loved driving trucks but also wanted a more settled life away from weekly truck-stop stays and sleeping in cab. So, I decided to take the plunge in 2014 and qualify as a trainer, enabling me to pass on my experience and knowledge to other operators in the industry.”

Zoe proceeded to work as an ALLMI trainer for Saint-Gobain, parent company of builder’s merchant business Jewson, at David Watson Transport providing full induction training for new members of staff and also a return to more localised driving of 7.5tonne delivery trucks for BSS, part of the Travis Perkins team.

“Over the past 11 years I’ve been lucky enough to drive a really wide range of vehicles and used loader cranes from every manufacturer. Without a doubt, in my experience Palfinger are the ‘crème de la crème’ of cranes, excellent quality, simple to use and designed with the operator in mind.

Zoe continues, “as a result, when I was offered the role of ALLMI trainer at Palfinger UK I was genuinely over the moon. It’s not often that you hear of people being offered their dream job, but that is exactly what has happened to me.”

Since joining the team at the end of September, Zoe has spent time getting to know the 3 existing instructors and the training coordinator at Palfinger UK, as well as meeting the wider teams in the sales, service and production departments.

“Everybody here is so friendly and welcoming, it really is like a big family. I’m really looking forward to meeting new and returning customers and making an impact on the business delivering high quality ALLMI training in the East of England.”

Palfinger UK offer ALLMI accredited, HSE-recognised lorry loader safety courses across the entire UK, with training delivered either at our training facilities in Falkirk, Bradford and Devizes, or on-site at your premises.

Additionally, we can register attendees for 7 hours of JAUPT Approved Driver CPC qualifying time.

Visit www.palfinger.co.uk/training to learn more and contact us to discuss your training needs further.

For the first time, the dedicated Lorry Cranes division of T H WHITE Group – Palfinger UK – is producing its own annual calendar to distribute to customers and partners across the UK. 

Celebrating the diversity of Palfinger loaders in use every day throughout the country, the calendar features photographs submitted by individuals and businesses from across the UK which showcase a wide variety of Palfinger products in use in a range of applications. It is the result of a social media competition, the winning photos being selected by Palfinger UK staff from the Devizes, Bradford and Falkirk depots.

Visit the Palfinger UK Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PalfingerUK to see the full line-up of photos featured.

Alan Johnson has been appointed Director for the UK Palfinger distributorship, following Mark Rigby’s retirement in March. With more than 30 years’ experience in the lorry cranes sector, Alan joined the company in 2017 as Development Projects Manager before becoming General Manager in May 2018. “Since joining the team in 2017 I’ve worked on a broad range of projects which have given me the chance to build a strong interface between departments and people, many of whom I knew already from my time in previous roles in the industry.” “Becoming the General Manager of Palfinger UK in 2018 gave me additional exposure to the commercial elements of the business and importantly some great opportunities for increased involvement with customers and suppliers.” “I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues, our customers and suppliers to ensure that we remain a reliable, innovative business and the first-choice partner for customers across the UK. It’s a fact that one of the biggest strengths of Palfinger UK is our people. Additionally we have great resources at our disposal to add value to customers across the UK, as well as a fantastic core product from the global market leader, Palfinger.”

The Palfinger UK training team were delighted to share the feedback from industry professionals this week following a series of CPD training sessions delivered at the start of 2019.

Delivered in December and January at the Palfinger UK Falkirk, Bradford and Devizes centres, the CPD events were set up specifically for ALLMI instructors. The five sessions were designed to provide an increased understanding of the Palfinger products in the UK market, as well as the systems and technical functionality used on Palfinger products.

Following the training, delegates were asked to provide feedback on their training, with hugely positive responses recorded across the board.

• 100% of the ALLMI instructors said that they would attend another CPD training session from Palfinger UK
• 100% thought that the course content and detail provided was either Good or Great, with 60% choosing Great!
• 100% rated the knowledge, attitude and values of the Palfinger UK training staff as either Good or Great, with a huge 86% choosing Great!
• 95% rated the overall experience as either Good or Great.

Additional comments included:

“A very good & informative day, well worth it”

“Thoroughly enjoyed the day, thanks again”

“I had a really good day. Sometimes trainers don’t get to use the very latest equipment but this day allowed us to have a look at your latest products.”

“Excellent CPD presented in a professional, relaxed manner! Very well done!”

“Really helpful instructors who went out of their way to ensure everyone had a fantastic experience”

“Very professional set up in the training room. Palfinger UK staff knew their stuff. I would attend another CPD day”

If you’d like to know more about training opportunities at Palfinger UK, please click here to visit our Training information page.

The Palfinger UK team was delighted to hand over one of two new crane builds in January to long-standing customer, Gibsons of Kendal.

Representing a major investment for the family-run Gibsons business, the latest delivery comprises a Palfinger PK 78002 SH D crane with flatbed body, mounted on a new generation Scania R500 8×2 truck. This is the ninth Palfinger crane for Gibsons, with a second, identical truck due in Summer 2019, taking Gibsons into double figures with Palfinger.

Gibsons specialises in large haulage services in the UK, with a modern fleet of vehicles to perform a wide variety of tasks. As well as celebrating the delivery of the new vehicle, Gibsons are proud to be commemorating the 40th anniversary of their business this year.

Their new Palfinger PK 78002 SH D high performance crane offers a lifting capacity of 4850kg at 13.7m full extension, perfect for the heavy lifting jobs that are part of the everyday activity for the Gibsons team.

The build comes with Palfinger’s High Performance Stability Control (HPSC) system. Sensors for proportional path measurement are placed in the stabilisers, making their positioning fully variable and enabling quick calculation of all permissible working ranges for any slewing angle and stabiliser position. This ensures maximum flexibility and productivity when the crane is in use, with the widest possible working range and maximum lifting capacity, as well as increased safety for all involved.

Gibsons of Kendal owner, Ray Gibson, is pleased to have taken delivery of his newest vehicle. “This is our ninth crane and vehicle from Palfinger UK – previously T H WHITE Lorry Cranes – and we have yet another crane vehicle on order for Summer 2019,” he said. “Our vehicles are used for a variety of applications including transporting water turbines, electric panels, transformers, cabins, containers, gate houses, generators, camping pods and even art sculptures. We’ve always found that Palfinger cranes to be extremely reliable and capable of heavy lifting tasks, especially in challenging situations. Using high quality Palfinger cranes keeps us ahead in our business and our customers satisfied.”

Palfinger UK area sales manager Scott Dunn worked alongside Ray, his son and co-owner Chris, as well as the technical and workshop staff at Palfinger UK to ensure Gibsons received the perfect crane for their needs. “We cooperated very closely with Gibsons of Kendal for a number of months on these particular new builds, designing the specification meticulously to meet their exact requirements. We are all very pleased with the finished result, and are confident that the new addition, alongside its partner arriving later in the spring, will complement Gibsons’ existing fleet of Palfinger cranes. Everyone at Palfinger UK would like to thank Gibsons of Kendal for their continued business and wish them all the best in their 40th anniversary year.”

When leading Welsh Agricultural dealer David Evans Agri Ltd (DEAL) was approached by a customer for a bespoke tractor with a crane, they knew exactly which brand would provide the perfect solution.

Visiting the DEAL dealership one day, Mark Davis, head of technical and sales office at M&D Services in Port Talbot, spotted a customised tractor fitted with a crane in the yard – which had been built by David Evans previously – and decided that he just had to have one of his own.

“The tractor/crane combo in David’s yard was intended for forestry use and I knew I needed something bigger, so this was a new challenge for DEAL,” said Mark.

David Evans added: “For Mark’s Fendt 936 Vario tractor we fabricated and installed the mounting kit ourselves, making sure it was the perfect fit for the tractor. Building this for a customer was a bit of an experiment so we knew that it was important to have the back up of the importer of a high-quality crane. That’s why I went to Palfinger UK.”

The bespoke fitment from DEAL goes even further by enabling the user to detach the crane and auxiliary leg stabilisers when required, so that the tractor can be used with or without the crane, or with other implements as required.

Rear mounted on the tractor, the medium duty Palfinger PK 19.001 SLD5 has a 4-extension C boom with lifting capacity of up to 18.5 tonne metres and an 12.6-metre reach. The lightweight design from Palfinger enables higher payloads than other cranes of a similar size, making the PK 19.001 SLD5 ideal for the wide range of heavy lifting tasks which Mark often undertakes. Additionally, the front and rear additional Palfinger stabilisers offer Mark both increased stability on the frequently uneven terrain around his home patch in South Wales, as well as extra support for heavier loads, enabling him to lift and move larger items quickly and easily.

Les Drage, Head of Technical and Sales at Palfinger UK, detailed the work put into the project by the Palfinger UK team. “This was a special project with a significant amount of bespoke work needed to harmonise the mechanical, hydraulic and electric interface work before the unit was sent out from Palfinger UK in Devizes.

“Extensive liaison and support was provided initially from the area sales manager Stuart Wilson, as well as from Project Engineers Rob and Gary to the team at David Evans Agricultural Ltd, while on-site stability testing was carried out by Steve in the Palfinger UK Service department before final handover. We’re pleased with the outcome and we enjoyed working with David and his team.”

“I intend to use the tractor in my work with utilities providers mostly,” said Mark. “In the countryside around South Wales these companies often need to install poles, pipes and cables in areas which truck-mounted cranes can’t reach – such as through fields or down tracks. My tractor mounted crane solves the problem and will open up more opportunities for me in those areas of work.”

The 936 Vario itself delivers up to 366hp from a 7.1 litre Deutz turbocharged diesel engine; combined with the strength and power of the Palfinger crane it adds up to an impressive machine for M&D Services.

Speaking of the build, David is keen to work on other bespoke jobs in the future. “This really is a specialist piece of kit and sort of a prototype for us really. We think it’s gone very well and we’re certainly interested in working on similar projects in the future with Palfinger cranes. Our facilities here at DEAL are perfect for managing these sorts of projects and my team is always ready to help provide solutions for our customers.”

On his experience working with the Palfinger UK team, David has nothing but praise. “The Palfinger UK team has been great. Project Engineer Rob was very helpful, coming out to support with the crane fitment and was always available on the phone to answer questions and provide guidance throughout the build.”

If you have a crane configuration in mind that you would like to discuss please do call Palfinger UK on 01380 722381, or take a look at www.palfinger.co.uk. To find out more about David Evans Agricultural Ltd visit www.dealwales.co.uk.

Palfinger UK once again attended the UK’s largest forestry and timber show this weekend, putting on an impressive display of forestry equipment from market leaders Palfinger Epsilon and timber bunk specialists Alucar.

The biennial APF Exhibition, hosted in the 6,000-acre estate of Ragley Hall near Alcester, Warwickshire, was attended by over 18,500 visitors this year and 320 exhibitors from across the forestry sector.

With a stand space of over 600m² Palfinger UK showcased a variety of timber handling cranes from Palfinger Epsilon, the world’s largest manufacturer of timber and recycling cranes, as well as specialist timber bunks from Finnish company Alucar, the largest manufacturer of aluminium timber superstructure systems.

Supported by valued customers who proudly displayed their trucks fitted with a variety of Epsilon cranes and timber bunks, the Palfinger UK team were on hand to meet new and existing customers and provide information on the full Epsilon and Alucar ranges, including the new Epsilon Q Series, unveiled at Interforst in July.

Kieron M. Owen Transport Ltd from Powys in Wales showcased their Epsilon M120L crane on a Scania R500 truck, which also featured an Alucar aluminium superstructure with a 5-tonne timber capacity.

TSL Contractors Ltd lent one of their Argyll-based Skyhook company Volvo FH trucks which featured a M12L crane with Epscab all-weather protection command centre and Alu 55 timber bunk. Skyhook are a helicopter hire company serving the construction, forestry and agricultural sectors in Scotland, carrying loads to remote and inhospitable locations where even an Epsilon-laden truck cannot reach.

Ayr-based JST Services Ltd, cargo handling and logistics specialists and one of the largest timber handling businesses in Europe, demonstrated their Volvo FH500 Globetrotter with M10L Epsilon crane and Alu 55 timber bunk on a complete Alucar superstructure subframe kit, coupled with a Dennison tri-axle drawbar trailer, also fitted with Alucar bunks.

Fresh from it’s launch at the 2018 Interforst event in Munich in July, visitors to the stand could see and learn more about the brand new Epsilon Q17L, part of the Q Series which boasts the lightest and longest reach cranes in its class – up to 11m at the maximum. Not only that, the Q Series offers a 15% faster crane speed than its predecessors, enabling maximum speed even at higher lifting capacities for increased efficiency.

Peter Williams of Forestry Transport Maintenance, partner with Palfinger UK for Epsilon and Alucar products, brought along his fully refurbished Volvo F12 tractor unit, resplendent in the livery of Tree Harvesting Ltd, a former timber merchant based in Wales thirty years or so ago.

This was coupled to a Dennison triaxle semi-trailer, fitted with the new Epsilon Q17L 105 with ergonomically designed Palfinger Master Drive top seat. The trailer/loader package is owned by Chris Knowles, who was satisfied enough with Epsilon products to purchase the first prototype Q17L 105 into the UK with positive results so far.

Palfinger UK are the sole UK distributor of Alucar timber superstructure systems, which are produced primarily of aluminium and not only increase truck payloads but also enhance durability and prolong the lifespan of the superstructure. The bunks are unique in their production, using detachable upright stakes which are easier to maintain, repair and replace than traditional welded supports.

James Stronach, Product Manager for Epsilon at Palfinger UK, who organised the APF stand and attended the event was pleased with the event this year, commenting, “despite the weather and fewer visitors this year overall, we had a good number of enquiries and potential orders over the three days, which is great. We are grateful to our customers and manufacturers who supported on the stand and for the visitors for visiting us and offering positive feedback on the Epsilon brand and the Palfinger UK business in general.”

Virpi Hattula, Export Sales Manager at Alucar, added, “we were pleased to come to the show this year to support James and Palfinger UK, and very happy with the display from Palfinger UK at the event, featuring a range of our Alucar bunks and superstructures, which were a great attraction for visitors to the stand.”

Palfinger Epsilon Area Sales Manager, Lorenz Santner, was also full of praise for the Palfinger UK team. “For PALFINGER EPSILON the UK market is one of the most important ones in Europe. After all these years we are happy to call the Palfinger UK team our friends in our big European EPSILON community.”

He added, “the show was again a great place to meet long-time friends, to have interesting discussions about the latest developments in the market and also to meet new people. The APF show is without a doubt the UK’s leading show for the timber industry and I am pleased that so many people from all over the UK made the effort to visit the event and the Palfinger UK stand again this year.”

To find out more about the full range of Palfinger Epsilon timber handling equipment and Alucar timber bunks, please visit www.palfinger.co.uk/epsilon-forestry

One of the biggest cranes currently fitted at the back end of a UK-registered 32-tonne chassis has just been delivered to new owner AET Transport Services. The brand-new Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3248LK ENA eight-wheeler is one of a fleet of 66 vehicles for the Poole-based AET Group, which comprises AET Andover, Curvin Transport, Dorset Crane Hire and Eaton Transport divisions.

Since its delivery, the new Arocs truck has been assigned to the AET factory relocations team who move machinery, plant and other large consignments across the UK and Europe for customers including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Britax and Sunseeker.

Palfinger UK played a significant role in AET’s new purchase, building the truck’s platform body and installing the rear-mounted Palfinger PK 65002D SH crane, which has five hydraulic extensions. AET Group Managing Director Andrew Trotter explained: “A rear-mounted crane will always be more appropriate for some jobs, as it allows us to back into the premises and reach further.

“The truck’s rear-steer axle also gives us an excellent turning circle, which is a major advantage on difficult-to-access sites. We talked to another manufacturer who offers a chassis in the same configuration, but came down in favour of the Mercedes-Benz, not least because its axle loadings were better suited to the crane.”

The aim of the Palfinger UK team, alongside Mercedes-Benz Product Manager Ian Knight and Truck Sales Executive Steve Trevett from south coast dealer Marshall Truck & Van, was to shed as much weight as possible without compromising stability and rigidity. As a result, the low-height sub-frame was fabricated from a special high-grade folded steel plate which is stronger but lighter than a standard, off-the-shelf product.

The team is delighted that having made a commitment to finish a truck with a maximum payload of 9.5 tonnes, the finished product is in fact capable of carrying 10 tonnes, all due to expert design and engineering processes from the Palfinger UK’s Technical and Production teams.

“I’m very pleased with that figure, as the extra half-tonne gives us a lot more flexibility,” confirmed Andrew Trotter. “An eight-wheeler which can lift 10 tonnes from the back end and then carry all of that weight is going to be a very productive addition to the fleet.”

Mark Cotton, Area Sales Manager for Palfinger UK, is also pleased that the outcome has delivered even more than his customer had hoped : “I’ve known Andrew for almost 15 years through my time in the industry and it is a pleasure working with him, especially when the result is such a successful build. I am looking forward to seeing the new truck out on the road around the South West and working with Andrew again on future projects.”

One of the biggest cranes currently fitted at the back end of a UK-registered 32-tonne chassis has just been delivered to new owner AET Transport Services.

The brand-new Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3248LK ENA eight-wheeler is one of a fleet of 66 vehicles for the Poole-based AET Group, which comprises AET Andover, Curvin Transport, Dorset Crane Hire and Eaton Transport divisions.

Since its delivery, the new Arocs truck has been assigned to the AET factory relocations team who move machinery, plant and other large consignments across the UK and Europe for customers including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Britax and Sunseeker.

Palfinger UK had a significant role in AET’s new purchase, building the truck’s platform body and installing the rear-mounted Palfinger PK 65002D SH crane, which has five hydraulic extensions.

AET Group Managing Director Andrew Trotter explained: “A rear-mounted crane will always be more appropriate for some jobs, as it allows us to back into the premises and reach further.

“The truck’s rear-steer axle also gives us an excellent turning circle, which is a major advantage on some, difficult to access sites. We talked to another manufacturer which offers a chassis in the same configuration, but came down in favour of the Mercedes-Benz, not least because its axle loadings were better suited to the crane.”

The aim of the Palfinger UK team, alongside Mercedes-Benz Product Manager Ian Knight and Truck Sales Executive Steve Trevett from south coast dealer Marshall Truck & Van, was to shed as much weight as possible without compromising stability and rigidity. As a result, the low-height sub-frame was fabricated from a special high-grade folded steel plate which is stronger but lighter than a standard, off the shelf product.

The team are delighted that after having made a commitment to finish a truck with a maximum payload of 9.5 tonnes, the finished product is in fact capable of carrying 10 tonnes, all due to expert design and engineering processes from the Palfinger UK Technical and Production teams.

“I’m very pleased with that figure, as the extra half-tonne gives us a lot more flexibility,” confirmed Andrew Trotter. “An eight-wheeler which can lift 10 tonnes from the back end and then carry all of that weight is going to be a very productive addition to the fleet.”

Mark Cotton, Area Sales Manager for Palfinger UK is delighted with the outcome for his customer, “I’ve known Andrew for almost 15 years through my time in the industry and it is a pleasure working with him, especially when the result is such a successful build. I am looking forward to seeing the new truck out on the road around the South West and working with Andrew again on future projects.”

Pictured: AET Group Managing Director Andrew Trotter, second from right, is pictured with, from left, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Product Manager Ian Knight, Palfinger UK South West Area Sales Manager Mark Cotton, and Marshall Truck & Van Truck Sales Executive Steve Trevett

T H WHITE has acquired Falkirk-based Outreach Truck Ltd, the Palfinger distributor for Scotland, and with agreement from Palfinger the merged businesses will come together as the UK’s largest national lorry crane provider, trading as Palfinger UK from May 2018.

Palfinger UK will be the only independent European distributor with full national coverage and will be one of the largest distributors in Europe selling products directly to end users.

T H WHITE’s involvement with lorry cranes began in 1974 and the business grew dramatically in the 1990s when world-leading Austrian hydraulic crane manufacturer Palfinger made T H WHITE its official distributor for England and Wales. Outreach Truck Ltd has also worked closely with Palfinger since 1976, accumulating parallel experience and expertise north of the border. Outreach staff will now join the T H WHITE Lorry Cranes team in the new Palfinger UK operation.

Mark Rigby (above), director of T H WHITE’s Lorry Cranes business, believes the acquisition of Outreach is the perfect fit with T H WHITE: “For more than 40 years Outreach has offered hydraulic handling, lifting and access equipment, supplying and fitting the complete range of Palfinger cranes. As regards the Palfinger Epsilon range, T H WHITE has traditionally focused on construction and recycling cranes, while Outreach has a strong business base in forestry cranes. That’s a great example of how this ‘coming together’ will broaden the portfolio of the whole operation.

“Likewise, Outreach has worked closely with many Scottish local authorities to develop expertise in bespoke body-building. That is complemented by T H WHITE’s state-of-the-art body-building workshops in Devizes and Bradford where a vast variety of body styles and sizes are built and fitted to chassis, often in conjunction with cranes, pile drivers and other equipment.”

The creation of Palfinger UK means that the business now has operational bases in Devizes (Wiltshire), Bradford (Yorkshire) and Falkirk (Stirlingshire). Although trading as Palfinger UK, the business will firmly remain part of the T H WHITE Group.

“Now that we have a spread of business locations right across the British mainland we can work on further enhancing the high levels of customer service we are already known for,” adds Mark. “Added to that, we are always looking for ways to assist various sectors of the market with new, specialist products, as we did last year with the introduction of specific models designed for the needs of builders merchants. Expect to see more of that as we go forward.

“All in all, Palfinger UK looks like being quite a force!”

For more on Palfinger UK, what it means for you as a crane user, as well as details of a host of exciting new products, visit www.palfinger.co.uk.

T H WHITE Lorry Cranes, the UK national distributor for Palfinger Epsilon, has introduced a significantly enhanced, free 5-year warranty package for Epsilon Classic cranes.

The new package offers 24-months’ free parts and labour cover for all components – an increase from the original 12-month warranty package. Additionally, all structural and load-bearing components will benefit from an extra three years’ free cover for parts. The new 5-year warranty applies to all new orders placed with T H WHITE for Palfinger Epsilon M125LC68 or M125LC82 Classic cranes.

As well as the new 5-year warranty package T H WHITE
now also offers customers the opportunity to receive the first year of a Classic Crane Service Plan free of charge when signing up for a 5-year Plan with their new crane.

T H WHITE’s Lorry Cranes Service department is recognised across the industry as one of the leading providers of service, repairs and parts for lorry loader cranes, offering outstanding aftercare and compliance support from a nationwide team.

Mark Rigby, director of the T H WHITE Lorry Cranes Division, comments: “The M Series Classic Epsilon has become a product of choice in the tipper grab market, and this enhanced product offer demonstrates a real belief in the strength and integrity of the product in a very tough market application, to give customers even more confidence to continue buying Epsilon cranes now and in the future.”

To find out more please visit www.thwhitelorrycranes.co.uk/epsilon-high-five, or phone T H WHITE Lorry Cranes on 01380 722381.

As the official national distributor of Palfinger and Epsilon cranes and equipment, T H WHITE Lorry Cranes has a strong reputation for installing premium products on a wide range of vehicle chassis.
As well as being the UK’s largest lorry crane supplier, T H WHITE Lorry Cranes also offers in-house body-building, assembly to chassis and servicing, backed up by customer service that has attracted some of the biggest names in the industry.

For more than 15 years one of our key clients has been leading commercial vehicle contract hire company LC Vehicle Hire, to whom we have supplied Palfinger, Epsilon and Orteco equipment for their large fleet of contract hire commercial vehicles. Most recently T H WHITE has been contracted by LC Vehicle Hire, not only to install the cranes, but also to provide Orteco piling units and build the specialist bodywork required for a series of seven specialist barrier rigs. T H WHITE Lorry Cranes was delighted to hand over the first of these multi-purpose vehicles in the autumn, built to the precise specification required by Kier Highways, a sector leader in UK highways maintenance, which has placed orders for units on both 18t & 26t chassis.

The first of the new barrier rigs is built on a Mercedes Antos 2535 truck supplied by Northside Truck & Van Ltd. The on-board Palfinger PK 19.001 SLD5A boom crane is supplied with radio remote control for improved usability and safety. Its intelligent, lightweight design will accommodate high payloads with a lifting capacity of 6200kg and a maximum hydraulic outreach of 14.8m.

Designed for heavy-duty pile driving, the Orteco HD 800 truck-mounted pile driver has a hydraulic rotation system enabling operation from either side of the vehicle, as well as the ability to deliver 680 blows per minute with a 1,060 joule hammer.

These premium, powerful units are complemented by installation on a custom-built body from T H WHITE Lorry Cranes – a twin access, triple-drop-side solution with fall prevention system.

Karl Simpson, Regional Transport and Plant Manager at Kier, said: “Since taking possession of this vehicle, it has been used to carry out all the safety fence repairs and street lighting column replacements within the Highways England Area 13 ALDM Contract. It is performing beyond our expectations due to its manoeuvrability and the high payload enables the team to take all the required materials to site in one trip, saving time and money.”

Mitch Barnes, LC Vehicle Hire Operations Manager – who collaborated with Kier on the specification – commented: “This vehicle – tailor-made to the customer’s requirements – is a superb specialist addition to the LC fleet.”

The first of the new barrier rigs was handed over by Scott Marsland, sales support officer at T H WHITE Lorry Cranes, who also provided training with the end user to ensure full understanding. All barrier rigs are delivered with Type Approval as well as a two-year warranty on the complete rig, and a three-year warranty on the Palfinger crane.

For details of barrier rigs and many other vehicle-mounted crane and pile driver applications, contact T H WHITE Lorry Cranes on 01380 722381.

The T H WHITE Lorry Cranes aftersales department will again see its already excellent customer service capabilities further increased thanks to a significant investment by the Group.

Following continued growth of the Lorry Cranes division, the decision was taken to replace the existing Megaamat Megalift in the Parts department and replace it with a brand new automated vertical lift, the Shuttle XO-500 from Kardexremstar.

The original Megalift was near the limit of its capacity and as the 15-year old machine is no longer in production, replacement parts would soon have become a problem.

High-tech infrastructure is used by the parts department to store hundreds of different components for Palfinger, Orteco and Isoli crane systems, with an electronic lift freeing-up floor and rack space in the workshop. The old machine had a footprint of four square metres with an internal capacity of 64 cubic metres, while the new XO-500 is not only larger at just under ten metre square footprint, but also has a capacity of over 165 cubic metres.

The deconstruction of the old Megalift and installation of the new XO-500 took just seven days in September, enabling the parts department to begin using the new machine with minimal disruption as soon as it had been refilled.

Gerald Webb, Parts Manager for the Lorry Cranes division, commented: “The increased capacity of the new machine will not only release valuable storage space for additional items in the stores, but its faster electronic lift system will also improve efficiency and speed up response times. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on the aftersales service we provide to customers, offering a dedicated ordering helpline with 90 per cent of parts in stock and a 24-hour delivery service from warehouse to customer.”

“We are now looking towards the future, with a view to installing an automatic picking process to expedite the service provided by the Lorry Cranes Aftersales department even further.”

Palfinger cranes have a justified reputation for quality, durability and reliability. The Austrian company makes cranes for a vast range of applications but has never designed a crane specifically to serve the needs of the UK builders merchants market – until now.

Unveiled at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC in late April, the Palfinger BM26 crane is the first in a series of new cranes for builders merchants. By taking a simple approach and designing a crane that combines all the features needed for straightforward ‘lift and place’ tasks, Palfinger has created a strong, rugged design that represents outstanding value and is ideal for the safe loading of heavy pallets, banded bricks, blocks or timber, sacks of sand and ballast, or concrete pipe sections and castings. In fact there is nothing you would normally find in a builders merchant yard that this crane can’t handle.

The BM26 is designed for 26t (GVW) trucks and has a maximum lifting capacity of 1,620kg at 8m and a slewing angle of 420 degrees. The boom features sophisticated geometry giving it the ability to work with heavy loads in confined spaces with a maximum stabiliser spread of 6.6m. It is not always necessary to deploy the stabilisers on both sides as stability is monitored by the HPSC-E electronic stability control system ensuring the crane always operates in complete safety.

A high speed boom extension makes for fast, efficient use, and all movements can either be controlled from the onboard control panel or the six function portable radio remote control unit.

Protected hose guidance and hose drum are fitted as standard and a hydraulic supply is carried through the boom for auxiliary equipment.

Palfinger cranes are distributed in the UK by T H WHITE Lorry Cranes which also provides national after-sales service. At its headquarters in Devizes, Wiltshire, T H WHITE Lorry Cranes also operates a commercial body-building facility with a state-of-the-art paintshop. We offer a complete one-stop shop for conversion of a truck chassis into a fully-specified vehicle, fitted with your choice of crane and bodywork. There are no middle men, meaning that you benefit from the simplest, most cost-effective solution.

For full details of the Palfinger BM26 Builders Merchants crane, please visit www.thwhitelorrycranes.co.uk, call us on 01380 722381, or email us at lorrycranes@thwhite.co.uk.

It’s an unavoidable fact that due to the environments in which they operate commercial vehicles are susceptible to body damage. Whilst it’s important to maintain vehicles in a good, safe condition, the situation everyone wants to avoid is having the vehicle out of action for extended periods while it is sent for repair.

It was to help operators maintain their vehicles in prime condition and minimise down-time that T H WHITE Lorry Cranes launched a mobile body repair service in 2015, which has proved extremely popular and effective.

Two specially-equipped vans are currently in service covering the Midlands, London, the South East and the Home Counties, carrying out on-the-spot repairs at times to fit in with your schedule. The repair service is also available in the north on request and it is planned to add a third van specifically to cover the North of England.

The mobile facility with its workshop tools and extensive stock of parts is capable of undertaking a surprising range of repairs including dropside, side impact protection, rear under run and floors. Both vehicles are fitted with onboard generators and welders capable of all site welding, including aluminium.Routine body inspections (T H WHITE’s online compliance system) can also be carried out on-site and estimates can be provided for all repairs.

To find out more about our on-site commercial vehicle repair service call us on 01380 722381, then select 1 for Service, 2 for Breakdowns and Defects, 2 for Body Repairs, or visit our website, thwhitelorrycranes.co.uk

As UK importer of lorry cranes from the global Number One manufacturer Palfinger, T H WHITE has now reentered the market for hookloaders and skiploaders with a superb, newly engineered range.

Uniquely in the UK we are offering a three year full warranty on all products, which are also supported by our aftersales national network.

For the latest information, or to book a demonstration, please contact: Steve Bretherton, Area Sales Manager (North): 07825 453170, sdb@thwhite.co.uk or Mike Connolly, Area Sales Manager (South): 07917 555149, mike.connolly@ thwhite.co.uk;