On the road again
Chris Cox, JCB’s General Manager for the waste and recycling sector looks at the benefits of selecting waste and recycling machines with multi-site capability.
Moving machines between sites has always been important, but with increased pressures on budgets and the need to maximise efficiencies, it is now more vital than ever.
Reduced costs and ‘downtime’
Choosing a waste and recycling machine with ‘roading ability’ can therefore prove a huge asset to any operator running multiple sites. By moving the machine quickly, efficiently and safely between locations, operating time can be increased and efficiencies maximised.
Using machines that can go on the road means no haulage costs, third-party operator fees, or delays as you can simply drive the machine to where it is needed.
Acquisition costs can also be significantly reduced with fewer machines purchased. Very basic material handlers (affectionately known as ‘rubber ducks’) are used on some sites, but you need one for every site as they cannot to be ‘roaded’. However, choosing a roadworthy machine instead means operators can split the machine’s duties between two or three sites within a reasonable distance; potentially one machine can do the work of three. Buy the right machine and you could save £150k against the costs of a shovel and excavator with similar capabilities, for example.
Savings can be made on fuel, operator, depreciation, maintenance and service costs, when one machine can do the job of many.
What machine should you choose?
As always it is imperative to assess what materials the machine will be shifting, where it’s moving it to and how much room there is to do it. Once that’s confirmed, you can look at ‘roading’ capabilities. The JCB 5CX Wastemaster, for example, can go up to 40kph and comes with a choice of tyres and three steer modes, meaning it can easily handle a road journey. JCB has calculated that for 10 sites in one large area, the same results could be achieved using two to three JCB 5CX Wastemasters as 10 excavators, because of their ability to travel between sites safely and efficiently.
Road features
Roading machines are designed to enhance operator comfort and maximise efficiency. Look for options such as ‘autodrive’ which automatically maintains the chosen engine speed. With Autodrive the operator can remove their foot from the throttle pedal, reducing effort and fatigue. Additionally, a machine with torquelock reduces fuel consumption by up to 25% when roading, and is delivered via a 4SPD Power Shift Transmission.
Smoothride is another to look out for. It minimises bounce when roading providing increased comfort, travel speed, and less wear on the loader arms.
Visibility is also crucial. The machine operator must be able to see other road users and pedestrians at all times and from various angles. Machines should have large windows and reversing cameras to ensure everyone is kept safe.
Get your business moving
Cutting costs and improving efficiency is an important part of any business, if you’d like to know more about how to make your waste and recycling more mobile contact your dealer.
www.jcbwastemaster.com