Ultimate Equipment is providing much of the earthmoving gear for this major highway project. It hires equipment and operators for construction, mining and quarrying and a large range of heavy applications. Its fleet includes articulated and rigid site dumpers, excavators, dozers, compactors, trucks and dogs in different configurations, crushers, screens and elevators.
Mick Shaw, equipment manager for Ultimate Equipment, said: ?On the Holbrook site we?re moving 1.5 million cubic metres of material, running 40-tonne articulated dump trucks, as well as 70-tonne excavators and dozers.
?This is the first site of this type where, due to the fill coming from one cut and the distance the material has to be transported, the contractor has moved most of the material with articulated dump trucks. In fact, this is the only site where we have exclusively used articulated dump trucks.
?The whole of life cost of equipment is an extremely important consideration for us. High capacity articulated dump trucks are one of our largest capital investments so it made sense to trial one of the new Scania-powered G9 Terex TA 400 trucks, due to their competitive initial cost and robust construction ? a good indicator of long term operational reliability.
?All our machinery is fully deployed for long hours, so minimum service downtime is critical to maintain our operational margins. Service points on the TA 400 are quick and easy to access via an electronic-assisted hood and a fully tilting cab. Anything that saves service time is a bonus.?
Vehicle speed is also important to Ultimate Equipment, for fast cycle times. The TA 400 can travel up to 60kph, carrying a 23.3m3 load of 40 tonnes. On a site such as the Holbrook Bypass, the truck?s oil-cooled, multiple-disc brakes on each axle help to extend brake component life, reducing service intervals and operating costs, while giving excellent braking performance.
?The Terex TA 400 articulated truck was one of our more recent acquisitions,? Shaw said. ?It was delivered on a float straight to the site, went to work immediately and has operated extremely well from that moment. In terms of work readiness, the truck was probably the best I?ve ever seen. It was fitted with fire suppression and meets mining specification, so we can put this truck to work anywhere in Australia.?
Ultimate Equipment supplies wet hire equipment, operated by the company?s specially trained staff.
?Prime contractors have access to a complete range of earthmoving equipment from us,? Shaw said. ?A major benefit for our customers is our fully trained and accredited operators who are all certified by a national training organisation.
?We provide our own training and operator assessment to ensure our people are fully compliant with the latest worksite, a major consideration for the prime contractor.
?Full worksite documentation compliance and WorkCover tickets are also provided as part of our service ? in fact, we are probably one of the few that do this. Our customers appreciate that we supply all our operators fully compliant and all necessary documentation is complete and accurate to enable the equipment to get on the job quickly and efficiently.?
Source: Terex Corporation