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SCANIAT114 6X4 VBU MISTER CONCRLIL, HEATHROW
Page 30
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• Not all concrete comes out of a mixer drum. Heathrow-based Master Concrete specialises in the operation of 'volumetric batch units' (VBUs), which carry the ingredients for concrete in separate compartments, only mixing as much as is needed on site. Master currently has 15 trucks on its fleet, all Scania 5545 bought with five-year R&M contracts from Southway Scania in nearby Staines.
The firm was started 18 years ago to fill a niche that larger operators didn't want to bother with and now has satellite sites at Bromsgrove and Beith, near Glasgow. It began by using modified gritter bodies, but now relies on sophisticated purposebuilt kit from Reimer in Canada. Master is obviously impressed, as it has now become Reimer's European sales agent.
The Scanias have two body sizes: 7.om3 on sixwheelers and 8.4m3 on eight. At the centre of the body is a 60/40 pair of sand and ballast hoppers, although for many jobs they can both be filled with pre-mix. At the front is a polyethylene water tank, with an enclosed cement bin at the rear. The precise mix is obtained by selecting one of a dozen computerised processes, which tell the operator the optimum settings for each ingredient.
Precise metering
The computer also takes care of precise metering for billing. Although the minimum charge is for r.om3, you can be supplied with as little as a barrow load if required, eliminating wastage and disposal problems. The firm prides itself on its complete service, with its staff able to stay on site for as long as it takes, helping with the job as required.
One of the specialities of the VBU is in delivering 'foamed' concrete; the bubbly chocolatelike product used for road trench reinstatement. While drum mixers are limited by their capacity for the low-density product, VBUs only create the foam at the point of delivery, giving them a 40% load advantage. The Scania fleet is mostly 8x4s with some 6x4s; some have sleeper cabs. Until now, engines have been 340s although that is changing to 42os. Transmissions are mostly 12-speed manuals, but three have the automated OptiCruise unit which was specified to suit the hurly-burly of central London.
Drivers' views on OptiCruise vary, but apart from an initial misunderstanding over PTO require—ments, the automated boxes have been totally reliable and have certainly proved easier on clutches than the manuals. Although truck-driven PTOs are fitted, the bodies are primarily powered by 3.5-litre Hatz auxiliary engines which reduce the daily fuel spend on mixing work from up to f4o worth of dery to as little as £3 worth of red diesel.
Despite the hostile operating conditions, the Scanias have not needed any special mechanical care. An acid-based cleaning product from AutoSmart removes any concrete residue without damaging the paintwork on the Scanias. And the process leaves the yard looking spotless as well.
Pride of the fleet are the Tcabbed 114 6x4s. Bought initially for their novelty promotional value, they do the same job of work as the cab-over versions. The extra length of the bonnet is rarely a hindrance, and is in fact claimed to help manoeuvrability in some situations once the driver gets the bang of the different feel. The current pair of T-cabs, proper right-hookers bought officially through Southway—are in the process of being sold, but will be replaced. The next is already on order for delivery this summer.
And how about that promotional aspect? Last word to Master's guvnor, Reg Gorman: "The bonnets bring in more business than 63 grand's worth of Yellow Pages!"