THE MELLEX GROUP HAS A SPECIALIST DIVISION THAT DEALS WITH TRICKY AND UNUSUAL RECOVERY JOBS. THAT’S JUST ONE PART OF ITS MISSION THOUGH, WITH SEVERAL OTHER DIVISIONS PROVIDING A RANGE OF OTHER SERVICES.
The Mellex Group consists of several different companies that together provide a wide variety of services across sectors including construction, plant hire, heavy recovery, training and cranes.
The company was established in 1998 by Darran Mellish, starting out with a 3-tonne excavator, a tractor and a trailer. Based in Tarbert, Argyll, Darran began to pick up work as a self-drive excavator operator, working on projects such as telecom cable installations. Today he runs the company along with his brother Cameron.
As the business grew, they bought out West Coast Tool and Plant Hire, giving them a second depot in Oban, and the acquisition of a further tool hire business in Dunoon provided the company with three depots in the west of Scotland.
WITH A NEW ROOMIER CAB VARIANT AND A 17-LITRE ENGINE BOASTING UP TO 780HP, VOLVO IS REALLY 'GOING BIG' WITH THE FH. BOB BEECH CASTS HIS EYE OVER THE LATEST UPDATES.
In January, Volvo launched some new versions of its FH heavy truck range with a number of updates. They included a new aerodynamic version of the cab called the FH Aero and a brand-new 17-litre engine that replaces the previous 16-litre lump and boasts a top power rating of 780hp.
The popular FM and FMX ranges also underwent minor updates, including the option of a camera system in place of conventional mirrors, although as with the new FH models, traditional mirrors are still available.
The Aero cab is new to the FH range, but a slightly revised version of the standard FH cab remains available for applications where aerodynamics is not the top priority.
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YOU CAN'T BE ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN, THEY SAY, BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO HAVE TOLD RECOVERY WORLD, WHICH CONTINUES TO FORGE AN ADMIRABLY DIVERSE PATH AT THE LIGHT END OF THE RECOVERY SECTOR THAT INCLUDES VEHICLES SALES, HIRE CONTRACT HIRE AND REPAIR, AND AN ONLINE SHOP. AND IT ISN'T FINISHED YET.
Recovery firms active at the lighter end of the sector and in search of a one-stop-shop need look no further than Recovery World.
The Hertfordshire-based business builds recovery vehicles from 3.5-26 tonnes GVW, rents them out, supplies them under contract hire agreements, and sells new and used examples. On top of that, it repairs accident damage and runs an online shop stocking everything from conspicuity tape and crash wrap to lashing straps, chains, and winch cables. It’s also a distributor for Warrior winches. “The only thing we don’t do is run a roadside recovery service ourselves,” smiles director, Mac Engledew.
Now with 30 employees, the business was established in 2001 by Mac and his mother Lynn, who both grew up in the industry thanks to Lynn’s dad running a successful recovery company.
SCOTTISH FAMILY-RUN RECOVERY FIRM ROADSIDE VEHICLE SERVICES HAS RECENTLY TAKEN DELIVERY OF ONE OF THE LAST DAF CFS WITH A MANUAL GEARBOX – AND COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT IT. DOUGIE RANKINE REPORTS.
Located in the heart of Paisley, a stone’s throw from Glasgow airport and just a few minutes from Scotland’s largest city, is the home of Roadside Vehicle Services (RVS). And taking pride of place out front is its latest investment, a shining new DAF CF 8×4 heavy recovery truck featuring a Tevor recovery body and underlift crane, rated to 100 tonnes gross.
Supplied by Roger Dyson, the 73-plate hub reduction- equipped CF is one of the last DAFs to be produced with a manual gearbox. The long-serving ZF Ecosplit 16-speed is no longer available as an option on the new generation XD and XF models, which replace the CF.
While modern automatics are extremely effective, there remains a small but devoted pool of buyers who would have continued to buy manuals, but the costs involved with tooling up to make such a low number of trucks became a factor. In addition, the requirement for the driveline to be fully integrated to allow systems such as predictive cruise and AEBS to function at full capacity means an automated transmission is required.
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A WILLINGNESS TO TAKE ON USED VEHICLES FOR ITS TILT-AND-SLIDE RECOVERY FLEET HAS PUT CVS24 IN A VERY STRONG POSITION SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED IN 2011. BUT THAT’S NOT THE ONLY REASON IT HAS MADE SUCH A SUCCESS OF THINGS.
Travel on any of the roads around east central Scotland and it won’t be too long until you spot one of CVS24’s bright yellow Renault recovery trucks. The versatile tilt-and-slide outfits are the backbone of a fleet that was established by Andun Price in 2011, with the focus initially on commercial vehicle repair before the business diversified into recovery operations.
Andun left school at 16 to join the Army, where he would serve the country for 10 years and qualify as a heavy vehicle mechanic. He then spent a couple of years working at a dealership, followed by a fleet service company. “In my last job I was mainly working as a mobile commercial vehicle mechanic, taking care of fleets, which I enjoyed. But I could see there were some potential business opportunities. I figured, why not give it a shot?” he explains.
ONE OF LATE TRANSPORT JOURNALIST JOHN HENDERSON'S LAST ARTICLES WAS ABOUT A UNIQUE DIAMOND REO RECOVERY VEHICLE AND DUMFRIESSHIRE HAULAGE CONTRACTOR, KENNY MARCHBANK, WHOSE RESPECTIVE PATHS CROSSED MORE THAN ONCE. WE PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE IN TRIBUTE TO JOHN.
Sometimes in life, we can perhaps create our own fate. However, in many circumstances, it can take decades to realise that fact. Back in the 1980s, Gateside Commercials heavy vehicle mechanic Kenny Marchbank, along with a few of his colleagues at the Dumfries Dodge Trucks dealership, unwittingly set up a scenario for years to come. The object of their fascination was a Diamond Reo Raider recovery vehicle, thought to be the only one of its type in Europe.
The Diamond Reo Raider C11964DB had first arrived in the UK during the early 1970s, as a demonstration vehicle for Wreckers International. Its role was to showcase the maker’s latest 30-ton Wreck-Master recovery equipment.
After running on trade plates for some time, the 6×4 rigid was eventually registered NBH 36P. Powered by a Cummins NH230 engine coupled to a 13-speed Fuller Roadranger gearbox, the Raider also sports twin Rockwell single reduction drive axles, Hendrickson rubber block suspension and Tri-Lex wheels in its specification.
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