Height for Hire, an access platform specialist based in Ashbourne, Ireland, recently added a new Volvo FM truck equipped with an underbridge unit to its rental fleet. The 4x2 rigid features a D11K engine that produces 330 horsepower (246 kilowatts) and 1,600 newton-metres of torque and a 12-speed I-Shift automated transmission. It has a sleeper cab with a single-bed living package, an 8-tonne front axle, and full air suspension, all on a 5,600-millimetre wheelbase. The company also spec’d the truck with extra side and rear windows.
Height for Hire is no stranger to the Volvo brand and typically uses chassis from the marque to serve as delivery trucks as well as to carry cherry pickers. This particular truck supports a Moog MBI 110-1,2/S underbridge unit that facilitates work beneath bridges without first erecting scaffolding. It’s easier to set up, requires fewer road closures, and obviates “the need to disturb the riverbed with scaffolding posts,” Volvo adds, which can have a negative effect on wildlife and the environment.
“The Ideal Chassis”
“The Volvo also allows us to safely move the unit along the length of the bridge, while our customer carries out any inspections. And, even with the weight of the unit on the back, it drives really well – perfect to get between locations when more than one bridge inspection is scheduled for the same day,” says Fergus McArdle, managing director at Height for Hire. “We’re very pleased with the truck. The Moog MBI 110-1,2/S underbridge unit is a sophisticated piece of equipment, and the Volvo FM is the ideal chassis to complement it.”
More Volvo FM Details
Volvo FM trucks are available with standard day, sleeper, and low sleeper cabs or with Globetrotter or Globetrotter LXL cabs. There are three Euro 6 engine options, including the D11K, D13K, and G13C, ranging from 330 to 500 hp (246 to 373 kW) and producing between 1,600 and 2,500 N-m of torque. There is also a version of the FM that runs on LNG (liquefied natural gas), which puts off fewer emissions while producing between 420 and 460 hp (313 and 343 kW) and between 2,100 and 2,300 N-m of torque.
I-Shift transmissions come standard on all Volvo FM models, and there is a wide range of available software packages tailored to the shifting requirements of distribution, construction, long-haul trucking, and heavy-duty transport applications. Other technologies on this range include adaptive cruise control, lane changing support, electronic stability program, and driver alert support.
You will find hundreds of new and used Volvo trucks for sale on Truck Locator, including a large selection of FMs.