Paul Clarke, 23, initially worked for a local builder after leaving school. Paul then attended the CITB College at Bircham Newton, where he gained his NVQ level 2 in plant and groundworks. For the last three years he has been working for Bradford-based family-run business Bunton Plant Hire. Paul has recently been deployed to a job in Blackpool, where he is on hire to Balfour Beatty on a United Utilities contract installing a new sewer line. Paul is operating one of the company’s latest machines, a Volvo ECR145DL, which is proving its worth in the tight working conditions in a suburban street. 
Talking about his latest steed, Paul said: “The machine itself is a really nice piece of kit, similar to our JCB JZ145s and Hitachi ZX135s that are currently on the fleet. I think they are the best tools for jobs like these, as the compact radius tail swing provides a safe working area when slewing and working around operatives on the ground.” 
Paul continued: “Also with the rubber street pads that are now being fitted to these machines they are perfect for working on tarmac without damaging the road surface, the machine is a great all rounder with its long boom and dipper arm, and with a large selection of buckets that are supplied with a Buntons machine, it is possible to complete a whole host of tasks in a small working area”. 
Paul has been impressed with the cab on the ECR145DL describing it as “not as big as a conventional Volvo excavator cab, but the sliding door is a useful feature, and I find there is plenty of legroom. Most importantly for me, a great heated seat, which is ideal for those chilly morning start-ups, a superb heating and air conditioning system with plenty of nicely laid out air vents, and last but not least, a good radio/sound system.” 
Having spent a brief 20 minutes or so on a ECR145DL during the Digger Blogs visit to Lorient in France with Volvo last year, I would have to agree with Paul on all he has said in this post. The machines are very good and I wouldn’t mind spending my days at the controls of one in the future.
