Capital Equipment News June 2018

QUICK TAKE

To achieve the 17 m³ payloads, the company specified heavy duty axles; a front axle rating of 8,5 t, as well as 2 x 13 t drive axles with light hub reduction

For Hillary Construction, customisation was key in its decision to purchase Scania construction vehicles

15 m³ Alup-tip tipper aluminium load bodies

The six P410 8x4 earthmoving tippers run by Hillary Construction have been specified with 17 m³ TFM tipper steel bodies

17 m³ TFM tipper steel bodies

The 16 G460 8x4 units run by Polokwane Surfacing have been specified with 15 m³ Alup-tip tipper aluminium load bodies, allowing for a payload of 18 t. The trucks also pull 15 m³ Alup-tip tri-axle aluminium pup trailers, and the combination gives a 36 t payload

bear in mind that the procurement of capital equipment ties up money for long periods of time, and the longer the period, the greater the uncertainty and risk involved. Consequently, it must be done correctly the first time, as mistakes are not easily rectified. This is exactly Hillary Construction’s approach to its buying decisions. As Freestone reasons, like most things in today’s world, purchasing capital equipment for construction is becoming more complex. As construction companies strive to compete in a tough business space, the investment in new equipment takes on a more important role. Companies now evaluate everything that surrounds the vehicle in addition to the normal productivity and cost savings calculations already commonly used. For Hillary Construction, customisation was key in its decision to go with Scania. The company went on to purchase its first Scania vehicles in 2013. To date, Hillary Construction runs a total of six Scania P410 8x4 units, as well as a G460 6x4 lowbed truck and a G460 6x4 flatbed crane truck. Polokwane Surfacing runs a total of 16 G460 8x4 tippers. “We started with Scania back in 2013 with the first six units. By the end of 2014, we bought another fleet of 11 Scania 8x4s. The rest were purchased in 2016, with the exception of the crane truck which we bought last year,” explains Freestone. According to Simpson, the six P410 8x4 earthmoving tippers run by Hillary Construction have been specified with 17 m³ TFM tipper steel bodies. To achieve that, the company specified heavy duty

“Hillary Construction’s planning in terms of placing its orders for the custom built vehicles is excellent. Their project planning is brilliant, and it helps with lead times, especially considering the specialised nature of their vehicles.”

Theuns Naude, Segment Manager, Construction/Public and Special at Scania South Africa

“We have seen a huge improvement in our running costs compared with the previous range. Scania trucks come with modern technologies, such as the FMS telemetry solution, a set of services that connects our vehicles and drivers with the office, which gives us control over our business. It gives valuable insight into driving styles, productivity and economy.”

Trevor Freestone, MD of Hillary Construction

TALKING POINTS

which could not only provide an 8x4 tipper, but would be willing to tailor the truck to the last millimetre as per Hillary Construction’s spec, Freestone and Simpson came across Scania at an exhibition in Johannesburg. Freestone recalls that from the onset, the truck “was visibly of better quality than the competition”. However, the fact that

Scania would build the product to meet the company’s exact specifications, while playing a major role in guiding the end user, was the ultimate deal maker. Customisation is key In an environment where construction jobs are few and far between, and margins continue to tumble, it is very crucial to

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JUNE 2018 9