Now here’s a clever bit of PR ‘spin’ says Biglorryblog (and I’ve seen enough to know it when I see it). I have received this press release on behalf of Unimog, BLB's favourite ultimate off-roader, which tells me that: “Fullers Contracting, the agricultural haulage business forced off the road for using fast tractors illegally, is back in business – with three new, all-terrain Mercedes-Benz Unimogs.
Two of the new Unimog U500 vehicles are fitted with hydraulic hooklifts to haul steel containers and the third has a purpose-designed tank fitted to the payload behind the cab, with an additional tank trailer. All are tested and plated to meet VOSA’s requirements for ‘hire or reward’ operations.”
So why is that clever? Because they’ve turned a negative into a neat positive---they WERE illegal. Now they ARE legal. See? AND they’re doing it with fully-plated Mercedes Unimogs, which as all BLB readers will know are splendid go-anywhere machines.
Fullers boss Matthew Fuller tells BLB: “When we were told we could not longer use the fleet of eight fast tractors all I could see was the business disappearing. We decided that the only way out of this was to invest in fully-plated and tested heavy goods vehicles – and the fast tractors could not be plated or tested because they are agricultural vehicles."
Not surprisingly, VOSA’s decision to take Fullers to court to prevent them using fast tractors for their agricultural haulage business had (and I quote directly here) "a serious impact on the business." Customers needed to retain the service and move waste for spraying and spreading on the land. This meant they looked elsewhere – to Fullers’ competitors.
“We have got most of the business back," says Matthew, "But it is really galling when, as a result of us being prosecuted for using tractors, the customers turned to those who still use tractors, even though it is clearly illegal.” However, he adds “But credit to VOSA – they have approached over half the people who took our business, so for the first time we can see that the law is being imposed impartially, and we do not feel quite such a target.”
The company has bought three Unimog U500s, which are operated as on and off-road articulated trucks. "The effect has been remarkable and dramatic.The Unimogs can haul and carry on every type of land we have been faced with, and then on roads they travel at the speeds of normal trucks. Central Tyre Inflation (which automatically lowers and raises all tyre pressures from within the cab) means we get traction and motive power where even the tractors had difficulty, and it reduces damage to growing crops.”
Meanwhile, the company concludes that the increasing need for tractive units that can tackle fields and off road work, as well as roads, means that for the future Fullers Contracting will be investing in Mercedes-Benz Unimogs, not trucks, and certainly NOT fast agricultural tractors. You know that sounds to BLB like a company that’s learned from its mistake…doesn’t it to you?
And here's a picture of happy Matthew Fuller, of Fullers Contracting, with the VOSA certificate that allows his Mercedes-Benz Unimog U500s and hooklifts to haul containers of waste.
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