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1111111A tipper show at Harrogate

THE Road Haulage Association's annual Tipper Convention and Exhibition was once again held at Harrogate for three days last week. The theme for discussion, "Roads to Recovery", offered something to interest all types of tipping operators.

Subjects ranged from the "Impact of EEC regulations on tipper operationand rounded off with the vehicle manufacturers' forum, where operators were able to discuss whether or not they got the vehicle they wanted.

The display was held in the exhibition centre with demonstration vehicles located at the Yorkshire showground.

Chrysler had a range of nine vehicles spread throughout the show, but its own exhibit consisted of only four. It was the first time that the new 300Series had been shown for tipping operation, and it was fitted with a six-cylinder turbocharged engine with a Fuller nine-speed range-change box . The tractive unit was coupled to an Anthony Carrimore 8.5m (28ft), 28cum (38cuyd) alluminium trailer fitted with Carrimore 525 tipping gear.

A Dodge 500 for operation at 24 tons was equipped with the Perkins V8 540 engine and Eaton 38DT tandem-drive twospeed rear bogie and an Edbro fixed-sided steel tipping unit raised by single-ram tipping gear.

Two 100-Series vehicles were shown, one for operation at 16 tons and the other at 7.5 tonnes, but both fitted with the Perkins 16 354 engine.

The larger vehicle carried skip-loading bodywork by David Mackmill Engineering Ltd while the smaller model was equipped with a Cheltonian 3cum (3.9cuyd) body tipped by Telehoist tipping gear.

DAF showed a FAT230S DHRE 6x4 24-ton rigid tipper for the first time in the UK. The diesel engine, developed for the British market, is rated at 156kW (209bhp) at 2.400rpm coupled to a ZF AK6-80 sixspeed constant-mesh gearbox with a Neville's sand and gravel body mounted on the chassis.

An 8x4 rigid tipper for operation at 30 tons was fitted with the new Telehoist Monalite 15.3cum (20cuyd) sand and gravel body. This Unit, powered by.an 8.5-litre turbocharged engine rated at 161kW (216bhp) drives. through a 13-speed Fuller constant-mesh gearbox to a two-spring tandem-drive bogie. Fodens were showing three eight-wheelers; two were inside the exhibition hall and the third was at the outside demonstration area. All were S83s fitted with the Gardner' 6LXB 180 engine but with a selection of bodies from Anthony Carrimore, Gosling and Mackworth.

Now, with the standard specification including tapered leaf springs, payloads of up to; 20 tons can be achieved with some body installations.

Outside in the demonstration area, a Super Haulmaster AC 29/65 tractive unit with the new Cummins E290 "Big Camengine was coupled to a Dyson 45-ton tipping semitrailer of 26.8cum (35cuyd) allsteel body. Edbro 18 twin rams were included for the tipping gear and the complete outfit is

designed for operation at 65 tons.

Fiat returned to the show this year with its 1 6-ton 1 59 4x2. An 8.1-litre diesel engine provides the power in each of the four models shown. They have a range of wheelbase measurements from 3.8m (12.4ft) to 4.4m (14.4ft).

On show outside the hall was one with a Powell Duffryn skip loader and two others, one with a Telehoist Tel-lite monocoque high-yield steel body and another with an Edbro aluminium body with the latest cornergussetted design. A fourth had a Wilcox body made from wlded aluminium pressings.

Fiat's biggest exhibit was the Fiat 170-26. tractive unit coupled to a York semi-trailer tipper plated for 40 tonnes gross.

Leyland's first UK showing of the restyled "0cab interior

featured strongly in its exhibit as it is now fitted to all the Scottish-produced models. It has a full-width facia panel with improved instrumentation and contrasting trim.

The seats have brushed nylon centre panels and for the driver only a Viking 640E suspension seat is offered. A larger heater should give an improved demist/defrost facility — it is claimed the unit is capable of maintaining the cab at 20')C while the external temperature is as low as —20'C.

Eleven vehicles in all were shown on the stand and included the Boxer BX1 325 with Edbro bucket-loader equipment which allows a payload of 7.06 tonnes (6.95 tons), 5 per cent more than the old BX1 300, the model it replaces.

In the 1 6-ton bracket was the Clydesdale 3.4m (lift 2in) wheelbase tipper fitted with a 7.64cum (10cuyd) all-welded aluminium Mackworth body.

At the heavy end of the range were two Octopus models, one of which was fitted with the Monalite body from Telehoist, enabling it to be ready for the road at 9.63 tonnes (9.48 tons) unladen. This gives a very respectable payload of 20.84 tonnes (20.52 tons) which competes in weight if not in volume with many maximum weight artics.

The Marathon 2 also made its first appearance at the Tipper Show. Fitted with the Leyland TL 1 2 engine developing 203kW (273bhp), it provides 8.53bhp /ton operating at 32 tons and has an improved cab.

Outside on the demonstration park, the Scammell LD55 heavy-duty tipper, plated for operation at 24 tons for road

work and 27 tons for site work was put through its paces. Fittel with a standard over-burde body, a payload of almost 1. tons is possible.

Magirus Deutz came tl Harrogate this year with a tote of 13 tippers. At the light end c the range, models 90M with 5.7-ton gvw and 90M with 7.5-ton gvw had been restyled and are now available in ad ditional wheel-base option from 3m (12ft 10in) to 4.42n (14ft Yin).

An example of the 3m (121 10in) wheelbase model fittec with a Brade-Leigh tipper both was shown on the Magiru: stand. In the eight-wheele range for operation at 30 tons, 232D was equipped with th, Deutz V8 air-cooled engine de veloping 170kW (228.5bhp) ZF constant-mesh gearbox witl optional splitter and a double rive two-spring bogie said to rovide high inter-axle articulaon with crossand inter-axle iff locks. The 15.3cum 20cuyd) Lineflow body is availble only for Magirus construcon vehicles.

Onand off-road vehicles anging from 16 to 32 tons nade up the Mercedes-Benz tand. A Wilcox body was fitted o the 1617K for operation at 6 tons and had a capacity of '.6cum (10cuyd).

A Neville-Charrold Ultralite iody was fitted to the 2419K ix4, powered by a 137k1A0 184bhp) naturally aspirated (6-cylinder diesel engine which !rives through a six-speed ZF iearbox to a differential unit vhich has an inter-axle lock fited as standard.

Designed to operate on or ff.-site, the LK2624 was powred by the larger 180kW (240bhp) six-cylinder engine, and had a lOcum capacity body by Telehoist, equipped with a 20 degree scow.

MAN weighed in at the heavy end of the scale with its contribution to the show. The 30.232, a 30-ton 8x4, has an 11-litre diesel engine which develops 173kW (232bhp). The ZF gearbox with six speeds and splitter effectively has 12 forward speeds.

A 21.6-ton bogie incorporates heavy-duty hub-reduction axles with lockable cross-axle differentials. The powerassisted twin-steering axles have a design capacity of 6.4 tons.

MAN's second exhibit was the 280 4x2 tractive unit plated for 44 tonnes, powered by a turbocharged six-in-line 11-litre' engine, and here a Fuller RTO 9513 range-change 13-speed gearbox was employed. Dual circuit full air service brakes with automatic adjusters, spring park brake, engine exhaust brake and three-line trailer brake connections are all standard items.

Seddon Atkinson's two 400-Series were both 30-ton eight-wheelers, but they differ in engine specification. The first, which had a 5.7m (18ft 10in) wheelbase was powered by a Gardner 6LXB engine, while the bulk alloy tipping body was built by Northumbrian Metal Industries.

A Cummins NHC-250 diesel engine was used in the other vehicle, which belongs to Thomas Brothers of Merton, and was equipped with its own welded alloy tipping body utilising Edbro's single-ram tipping gear.

A 3.8m (12ft 6in) wheelbase 200-Series tipper owned by J.

& M. Collinson of Garstang, Lancs, was fitted with an International D-358 diesel, and had a dropside alloy tipping body with Edbro single-ram gear

Two Volvo F86 tippers in the demonstration park were shown in a 6x2 and 6x4 configuration. But inside the hall the 6x4 had a 12cum (15.7cuyd) Mackworth alloy tipping body, with fixed sides, top hinged tail-gate and 0.58m (15in) spill boards.

The 8x4, also built at Ailsa's Irvine factory, has a 24.4cum (32cuyd) Neville. Charrold Nevilloy body with full-depth tailboard and Edbro SD 16 single-ram tipping gear.

Rydewell has two static exhibits showing two of its 20ton bogies and 254mm (10in) articulation, while the second is intended for large tipping semitrailers, Crane Fruehauf was showing its 24.5cum (32cuyd) alluminium bath-tub design, first introduced in 1966. Because top-hat section ribs are used in the construction, the massive sub-frame has been dispensed with, resulting in a weight saving of up to 762kg (15cwt).

From the York Stable, Anthony Carrimore has announced ,a new range of heavy-duty semi-trailers for export markets and UK construction companies operating off-road equipment. The point of interest here is that all the major components — body, suspension, axles, chassis and lifting gear — are produced by the group. The newly designed Carrimore body features a 6.5mm steel floor on 5mm sides; front and tail-gate measure 8.33 (27.3ft) long by 2.37m (7.8ft) wide with 1.44m (4.7ft) sides providing a capacity of 27cum (35cuyd).

The Samsonlite body from George Neville has initially been designed for the six-wheel 24ton market and below. By using new extrusions for the chassis runners and backbone, the body assembly has weight advantages over the original Samson ribbed body.

High-tensile half-inch hard aluminium was used with a 6mrri (¼ in) thick floor and 5mm (3 /16in) sides for a total capacity of 12.2cum (16cuyd).

Edbro showed its latest skip loader for 16-tonners. Faster turn-around times and a better manoeuvrability were the claims for the Mark 5 model. Operating times with an all-up weight of 6.98 tons and a payload of 9.02 tons were given as 35 seconds for loading and 45 seconds for unloading, while skip emptying takes 10.5 seconds.

From the Neville Charrold's Huntingdon factory comes a bulk tipper for solid fuel carrying. The aluminium Tippermatic unit had pneumatic discharge equipment fed by the newly introduced Holmes 6.3 engine-driven blower designed for grain and solid fuel discharge. The Craven Tasker exhibit was a 9.1m (30ft) 30cum (40cuyd) fast-tip trailer featuring a double-hinged tailgate hung from the top. The new arrangement is said to reduce the risk of damage to the rear end when a load builds up against the tail-gate when tipping. When the load reaches a critical level, the free-swinging tail-gate moves automatically to a second ring, taking off the pressure.

Wilcox of Peterborough had a welded body built on a step frame chassis which gives an extra ficum (8cuyd) of capacity. Additional payload is not the only advantage — less roll, better traction and greater stability during tipping are also claimed.

The Vacu-Lug Tyre Organ

isation, which claims to be t UK's largest independent ty reconditioner, showed the f range of the Duramould rad and cross-ply remoulds, as w as examples of Martrak off-ro rebuilt units.

Perkins' newest and larg€ addition to the range, a 10. litre V8 215bhp natural aspirated engine, the result more than 100,000 hours development, was shay alongside the T6 3543, rated 115kW (155bhp) as fitted the Dodge Commando 1 tonner.

Cummins took this occasii as the opportunity to show ti new E290 engine for the fii time to the public. The 290 iE turbocharged engine design' with fuel economy in.rnin Nicknamed the "Big Cam" cause of its large camshz diameter, the engine is rated 216kW (290bhp), with ma' mum torque occuring low cloy the rev range at 1,300rpm.

Turn to pages 59-61 for col report of the tipper convel tion. URING 1975 the Road aulage Association's ational Committee decided at because of duplication of )jectives the Area Tipping Etrvice Committee and the egional Tipping Service lould be abandoned and a )w start made by forming le National Tipping Service.

The UK was divided up into .?ven natural boundary areas ld during late 1977 the RHA 'as able to launch 22 local Tiping Service Groups, each with s own area secretary but with dministration provided by the HA area offices.

Seven regional committees ere formed from represenitives of the local groups within the regions and each corniittee invited to send represenitives to form the 21-seat ehicle operators' Functional iroup National Committee, thich meets, usually in London, -iree times a year. The secre)ry, Kerrill Spencer, is located

t head office.

The National Committee is 'so responsible for the annual .ipping Convention and Vehicle Ixhibition.

Operators today cannot fford to keep spare vehicles nd although tippers may not Jaye increased in price any lore than other plant, their earling power and return on capital as not grown very much, and many cases has stood still.

Construction companies, nuch as they would like to have ill vehicles working for them inder direct ownership, are inding it increasingly cliff; :ult to finance on the scale if investment required. A new 30-ton eight-wheel tipper costs iround £25,000; the capital .:ould be more profitably used flsewhere.

Most of the major construction companies, with a few exceptions, are winding down their in-house transport activities and putting more work out to the hauliers. That must be good news for tipper men who have suffered since motorway construction stopped.

During slack periods competition between companies becomes more intense, particularly between aggregate suppliers.

Two pence off a cubic metre of ballast can easily swing the customer to the rival haulier, and because of the cost of road transport accounts for such a large chunk of all building material prices it can soon convert a profit into a loss.

The result is that the big sand or ballast companies, already with their backs to the wall because of the economic climate, are tending not only to make more use of outside hauliers but to use the cost of the transport service as the main element for competitive pricing.

This situation is where the danger lies for the future of road transport, especially in the construction industry. Playing one haulier against another and simply patronising the man quoting the cheaper rates may be good for the user, but in the long term it is likely to put the tipper man out of business.

Rate cutting is not new in tipper operation, but the lessons of the Sixties have not been learned. The rate-cutter is the first man to go out of business or be put out via the bankruptcy court.

LA's long memories

Tragically, hauliers who have to cut their rates to stay alive perhaps for 12 to 18 months also cut corners on the upkeep of their vehicles. Poor maintenance has led to unreliability and breakdowns, and the inevitable GV9 vehicle prohibition notices for unsafe vehicles. The LAs have long memories and good records.

It is against this background that the NTS was set up. Many subjects are dealt with by the National Committee and subcommittees, all of them pertinent. They include, safety, contracts, carriage of solid fuel, quarry products, sand and ballast, muck shifting, rock salt, general daywork and legislation.

Apart from the committees there are, throughout the country, some co-operative groups and associations which are clearly distinguished by their functions.

A co-operative group in this context is considered to be a consortium of operators who have joined together to exchange surplus traffic, to tender for the larger contracts which they do not have the capacity to undertake individually and to keep each other generally over the peaks and troughs of seasonal work.

All vehicles at work

The first was set up in Fife almost 15 years ago; its founder, Mr Bob Wilson, is a dedicated group man. Is success is apparent. He told CM last week 'If the construction industry picks up we are in trouble; all our vehicles are at work now The local tipping associations are groups of hauliers who are engaged in the same type of traffic and in several cases even have the same customers. These hauliers have realised that the only way to stabilise conditions of operation is to present a unified front to their customers and try to stamp out the old practice whereby some customers played one haulier off against another.

Most of the associations are concerned with the construction, roadstone and ballast industries, which are probably the three sections which have over the years been rather neglected.

The National Tipping Service, and previously the Regio nal Tipping Service, insist that rates are not the be-all and endall of transport operation, but without a sound basis of fair rates and an assurance of stability and good serivce no business can survive, much less thrive.

There is also a matter of self confidence involved for the small operator. The tipping industry is made up of small companies where fleets seldom exceed seven vehicles.

The NTS does not propose to set up a co-operative fuel, parts and vehicle purchasing programme. The constitution of the RHA prohibits this, but the association believes that members could organise this among themselves at group level.

Top-level probe

Centralised invoicing, debt collection and standardised forms of tender as well as vehicle record and workshop service sheets are under investigation at group level. In any activity the development of an idea depends on the mutual trust of the membership. When the order books are empty members are enthusiastic, and when they have plenty of work in hand they do not have time. Their suspicion of each other has not helped.

Members are being circulated now with a view to compiling a directory listing those who are prepared to offer return loads on a regular or casual basis.

However, if past performance is anything to go by many members will keep the best work for themselves; only the rough and unprofitable jobs will be passed on to other members. That's human nature.

It is felt by many that the only way for the NTS to survive and thrive is complete co-operation. It could well be that members will have to look to Sweden for confidence. There the cooperative system is working well. Many Swedish groups have full-time representatives whose sole job it is to sell tipper capacity. Whether it is possible for this to occur here will depend on those who are prepared to develop the right attitude.

No traffic bonanza

Any tipper operator who thinks that joining the NTS will mean he wakes up the following morning to some kind of traffic bonanza is likely to be disappointed. Members must all put in a real effort into building the scheme and if, through this, co-operation can be stimulated and profitability of the tipping sector increased, then the airms are more than worthy.

Any RHA member may join the NTS free of charge, but anyone who does not belong may apply to the local group committee for NTS membership. Final approval is at the discretion of the committee and if elected a fee of £7 a year is charged for an owner-driver. For two or more vehicles there is a supplementary fee of £2 per year a vehicle. However, nonRHA members cannot be elected to either a regional or national committee.

The NTS still has a long wa to go. It is important that th relationship between the hauli€ and contractor is improvec 'We must'', says Kern Spencer, –recognise eac other's problems if transport i to remain available to industr) otherwise there will be very fel tipper hauliers left."