J R HUMBLE / MAN TIPPERS
(^30) July 2019 Truck & Driver
Paul was involved in
a serious accident when
racing in 1997 and lost
his lower right arm as a result.
For him to keep driving, this
meant he’d need an automatic
gearbox – and the company took
delivery of one very early auto
MAN F2000 that year, and got
the first auto Roadhaus in the
country in 1999. They’ve been
all-auto on artics ever since.
Midlift configuration is
preferred and the trucks have to
work hard in the hilly rural terrain.
Fuel economy can be in the
region of 5-6mpg on local work
where there’s very little you can
do to influence things, but
Michael reckons 8mpg is
achievable on longer runs.
Deep do-do
Everyone in the region can be at
the mercy of the weather at
times, and when the ‘Beast from
the East’ hit in 2018 there was
snow up to seven feet deep!
“We were completely stuck for
a week,” recalls Michael, “but
everyone was in the same boat.”
Paul’s current truck is a
relatively rare TGS 24.500 with
lightweight midlift; the vast
majority of MAN tractor units are
TGX. The TGS offers a 2300mm-
wide cab; in the largest available
XLX specification it’s still
spacious enough and all the
main switchgear and the dash
layout is the same as the larger
TGX. The truck’s gear control
lever has been relocated to the
left of the dash instead of on the
steering column to make it easier
to access with his left hand.
Four years ago the firm was
running six trucks, but opted to
reduce that to four owing to the
cost of diesel. Michael reckons
their current four-truck fleet is
ideal. “We don’t want to get any
bigger. We have plenty of work
for each of the trucks; the extra
time and responsibility needed to
run the other two, and finding
good, reliable drivers for them,
just isn’t worth it.
“Each of the trucks is specced
to our individual taste,” adds
Michael. “We always go for the
construction-spec front bumper
for extra clearance, along with
microwaves and fridges. Paul
chose the TGS as it’s a bit lower
to the ground and easier to get in
and out of, but one thing that
surprised us was that ordering
the TGS from the factory cost
more than taking a ‘stock’ TGX!”
That is a curious one, but at
least the TGS is paying back the
premium with superior payload,
thanks to the lighter cab and
chassis and its Fruehauf trailer.
Michael’s own truck is a TGX
XXL 480 with the AS-Tronic
gearbox. He describes the
performance as acceptable, but
reckons the Euro 5 equivalent
has the edge on it. Plus, having
driven Paul’s TGS and had a new
TGX 500 on demo, he’s looking
forward to getting one when the
time comes. “There’s definitely a
noticeable improvement with the
500hp engine and the new
TraXon gearbox. You need the
power in this part of the country!”
It was intended that the oldest
truck, the 63-plater, be changed
in 2018 but, as it had a lot of
work done on it earlier in the
year, MAN was happy to extend
the R&M for a sixth year. “We
were given a fantastic deal on
the R&M so decided to hold onto
it for another year,” says Michael.
John is currently driving the
TGS eight-wheeler, along with
Wayne when required; the
63-plater (which was at MAN on
the day of our visit) is driven by
Gary Glaspher. Unlike the artics,
this truck has a 16-speed manual
transmission, complete with
MAN’s Comfort Shift system,
which works the clutch
automatically for you at the press
of a button on the gearlever.
“The eight-wheeler doesn’t go
too far afield, about as far as Hull
and Immingham. We move a lot of
coal and industrial coke and the
rigid is essential for some of the
deliveries as you can’t get an artic
in,” explains Michael, who is also
the company’s transport manager.
“There’s still plenty of places in the
countryside that use coal, even if
the days of big industry are gone.”
FORS Bronze
While the Weardale region may
be steeped in industrial history,
the company has kept up to date
with the industry’s latest
developments and requirements
by achieving FORS (Fleet
Operator Recognition Scheme)
Bronze status.
“It became mandatory for
Aggregate Industries work in
March 2018. There was a lot of
paperwork to handle, and Wayne
and his girlfriend dealt with a lot
of it. We looked upon it as
something we had to do or get
left behind,” says Michael.
“At least we know that if
everything is done to FORS
standards then we’ll be right, and
we have the peace and mind of
the R&M on the trucks.”
All the trucks are now fitted
with forward, rear and nearside
cameras, along with one to view
inside the tipper body.
The Humble family grew to like the bright-green paint
supplied in error as it’s similar to Kawasaki racing green