• John Farmer becomes Aftersales Director
• Ian Valentine becomes Sales Director
• Ian Childs’ role is expanded to become Production & Engineering Director
• Stuart Todd’s role is expanded to become Commercial Director
• Scott Reid retains responsibility for our Scottish site based in Falkirk and is responsible for continuing the integration of all activities there into the Palfinger UK business model.

The Palfinger UK team was pleased to welcome business owner and popular YouTuber Daniel Ashville to the Devizes depot in September as part of a new video being filmed for his channel.

Daniel, who owns Ashville Aggregates based in London, has almost 60,000 YouTube subscribers, with videos documenting the progress of his business over the past few years.

Daniel’s visit to Palfinger UK in Devizes centred around seeing his brand new vehicle for the first time, a crane-hookloader combi from Palfinger, mounted on an all-black 8×2 Scania P450.

Keep an eye on the Palfinger UK Facebook page on @Palfinger UK for the full video, coming soon.

Palfinger UK – part of T H WHITE Group – has participated with leading infrastructure support service provider Amey and Mercedes Benz truck dealer Rygor Commercials to deliver two multi-purpose barrier rig vehicles as part of a 15 vehicle order, all but one of which are being supplied under a multi-million pound Highways England maintenance and response contract for the north west.

The vehicles will be used on routine maintenance, defect repairs, emergency incident responses and severe weather services over 420 km of motorways and 80 km of A roads in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire.

Built on Mercedes-Benz low-entry Econic 18-tonne chassis, the barrier rigs are fitted with Palfinger PK19.001A SLD 5 cranes which combine a high power lifting system with an intelligent light-weight design, with a maximum lifting capacity of 6,200kg with a maximum hydraulic outreach of 8.1m. Further augmenting the rig’s capability is an Orteco HD 800 truck-mounted pile driver which 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. Devizes-based Palfinger UK has a long-standing association with Amey and undertook both the crane installation and the specialist body-building of the barrier rigs which incorporate a wealth of safety features.

The Mercedes-Benz Econic chassis are 1827L models with 7.7-litre in-line six-cylinder engines producing 200 kW (272 hp). These are paired with 12-speed Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated manual transmissions. Full air suspension is combined with Active Brake Assist 4 emergency braking technology. Programmed to recognise other vehicles at higher speeds, as well as pedestrians when moving more slowly, this is capable of bringing it to a complete stop. Single step access and a predominantly flat floor makes for easy cross-cab access, enhancing safety for operatives who may be in and out of the vehicle many times in a working day by encouraging them always to use the safest side.

In building the barrier rig bodies and equipping the vehicles with cranes, Palfinger UK worked with Rygor Fleet Sales Manager Jeremy Price to ensure the finished specification met all Amey’s requirements.

If you have an application that requires a vehicle fitted with a crane and/or specialist bodywork, Palfinger UK can help to guide you through the many options to achieve the best solution. Call us on 01380 733513, or visit palfinger.co.uk.

The three-axle delivery vehicles feature a steer, drive and lifting rear-steer tag-axle configuration, delivering what the operator’s transport manager, Paul Gibbard, describes as “outstanding manoeuvrability and payload”.

Spec’d to have the same overal chassis length as the 18-tonne DAF vehicles but with a greater payload, the vehicles can carry and deliver 9 packs of blocks with no problem at all, comfortably running with 13t on board.

These new trucks are equipped with bespoke dropside bodies and high quality Palfinger BM26 loader cranes, both fitted by the expert team at Palfinger UK. CRS also had sensored crane slipper pads fitted to the rear of each vehicle to provide maximum safety for drivers and flexibility on the varying delivery conditions they meet.

“Safety is very important to us: for our drivers, customers and other road users,” says Gibbard. “It starts with ensuring complete compliance, and our local dealer, Kingdon Wessex DAF, looks after us very well on service, maintenance and inspections. Then, apart from the additional crane stability pads, we add such things as recording camera units all-round, repeat-indicator side markers, Fresnel lenses on near-sides, lifting rear mud flaps to aid reversing safety in tight sites, cage sensors …. the list goes on and on. And we brief our drivers fully on every aspect.”

He added, “The thing is, these vehicles are like a big Swiss Army knife, they just have everything you need.”

CRS, which only started in business in 2005, now operates a fleet of 40 trucks out of 12 branches across the South West. One of the two founding directors, Chris Waelchli, discusses fleet acquisition strategy for a small business. He states: “Let’s be honest: to start with, you run anything, so long as it’s safe. Then, when you can afford it, you try and do better. So the growth of the fleet and the quality and newness of its vehicles is simply a reflection of how well the business has done.”

“The other bonus with a modern fleet, of course, is that we are automatically more environmentally supportive and able to fit in with such things as Bath and Bristol’s drive toward their clean air zones.”

 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.

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

Involved in the audit as part of her re-accreditation process upon joining the Palfinger UK training team, Zoe achieved a hugely 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 and is already taking bookings for the coming months across the region.

Praise from the ALLMI auditor was abundant in the follow up report, stating:

“Zoe presented a warm and friendly atmosphere throughout the day’s training. Good topical discussions and candidate questioning were consistently used, establishing the candidate’s level of knowledge and understanding of the topics being covered.

“Zoe demonstrated excellent industry, equipment and operating knowledge throughout. Well done Zoe!”

Modules covered within the ALLMI Lorry Loader Operator course delivered by Zoe include coverage of legislation – including LOLER, PUWER & Health & Safety at Work; introductions to the equipment and attachments; pre-operational spot checks; safe siting of the loader and deployment of stabiliser legs; and preparing, operating and stowing the crane safely and effectively.

Zoe was delighted with the score received from ALLMI.

“Whilst I know that I am a competent trainer with plenty of industry experience, it was great to receive such a high score on the audit to support that.

“It’s a great confidence boost to know that I am being recognised as providing excellent quality training, and I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with customers across the East of England to help them achieve their ALLMI qualifications.”

Zoe joins an already established team of 3 high quality, full-time ALLMI trainers at Palfinger UK, with a previous average audit score of 92%. The Palfinger and ALLMI trained team provide accredited and HSE recognised training throughout the country at customer locations as well as training facilities at the Palfinger UK Falkirk, Bradford and Devizes depots.

Sunny Patel, Training and Handover Coordinator, commented, “I am so pleased for Zoe on her recent audit score, although her ability and skill were of course never in doubt. Zoe is a highly capable trainer, and has been warmly welcomed by the training team, wider Palfinger UK colleagues and our customers. I look forward to working with Zoe in delivering exceptional ALLMI training at competitive prices for customers new and existing throughout the East of England.”

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.

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.