Bespoke truck for KSS

2 December 2021

Essex-based tool and plant hirer KSS Hire has taken delivery of a new 26-tonne plant body from Andover Trailers, joining a larger 32-tonne Andover build supplied in 2018 for its six-strong mixed commercial vehicle fleet.

The new bespoke-built plant body is mounted to a DAF CF 6x2 rear steer chassis and replaces an older 16-tonner. The new design was selected to increase load capacity in line with the company’s growth.

Steve Nicholls, managing director of KSS Hire said that one of the reasons for buying the vehicle was Andover’s ability to work individually with customers throughout the process to design a body to meet their exact requirements.

The new body incorporates a low-profile deck which includes cross members that transect the body runners, instead of simply sitting on top. The design also maximises deck capacity, and when coupled with the truck’s rear steer capability is still able to access the narrow country lanes and trickier urban sites previously frequented by the older, smaller DAF it replaces, says the manufacturer. 

The plant body incorporates a beaver-tail design that is connected to a pair of 2.5m-long, hydraulic power toe, knife-edged ramps. This combination creates a shallower load angle, helping to increase the variety of plant that can be carried, which includes diggers, dumpers and track trenchers.

An electric winch is also incorporated to aid loading and unloading. 

The new truck will primarily be used to deliver plant to customers in and around Essex from the company’s Wickford base. It is expected to clock up 25,000 miles per annum and will likely stay part of the company’s fleet for seven or eight years. 

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