NEW RANGE C AND T ROCK UP AT LOUGHRAN ROCK INDUSTRIES

Loughran Rock Industries (N.I.) Ltd, a leading provider of crushed stone, concrete blocks and ready-mix concrete in County Armagh, has added two Renault Trucks Range C430 8x4 tippers fitted with Farlow Steel bodies and one Range T480 6x2 tag tractor unit to its 30-strong fleet. The new vehicles join the company’s bulk aggregates operation, moving materials including stone within a 30-mile radius of Armagh.

A previously positive experience with Renault Trucks and the local dealership in Northern Ireland, Diamond Trucks, was central to their latest decision, as Director Gary Loughran explains: “We took a couple of Range C430 8x4 mixers complete with IMER Bottles last year which have worked well in our operation, so we looked to Renault Trucks again when we wanted some new vehicles.”

Gary is full of admiration for the Renault Trucks dealer: “We’ve found Diamond Trucks to be a great business partner and very straight forward to deal with. Their back-up service and aftersales packages on offer, including 5 year R+M with the work carried out at local service point Toal Truck Services, is second to none and was one of the key reasons we selected the Range C and T. They just take any hassle away so that we can concentrate on getting the job done.”

As well as top-notch vehicle performance, looking good on the road is also important to Loughran Rock as Gary explains: “We always take pride in our appearance and the trucks are hard-working ambassadors for our brand, reflecting our attention to detail that permeates right through the core of our business. The new Range Cs and T are part of our ongoing investment into the fleet, ensuring that we keep up-to-date with the latest technology but also look good in our distinctive red and cream livery.”

The T480 6x2 tag comes with Night & Day cab and Renault Trucks’ DTI13 engine that produces a maximum torque of 2400Nm from 950rpm to 1404 rpm. It was the manoeuvrability of the tag axle that particularly appealed to Loughran Rock: “It’s just what we require for our operation as some of the sites we go to can be tight for space and we need something with plenty of grip and power. The T480 copes with the challenging terrain and is good for tight corners and gives us the traction we need too,” says Gary.

Both the T and Cs are equipped with a 12-speed Optidriver automated transmission system.  The C430 tippers, giving an unladen weight of 9200kg, are some of the lightest 8x4 rigids on the market and offer an impressive body and payload allowance of up to 22.8t.

Achieving sizeable fuel economy was also a factor: “Fuel consumption is important to our business and we are getting around 6.5mpg from the Range T and Cs, which is pretty decent considering the type of stop-start and challenging work the trucks are doing. We had heard good things about Renault Trucks in this area and we’ve not been disappointed,” concludes Gary.