It has also opted for a fleet management package from the Caterpillar dealer Finning to take control of its machinery operations back in house.
Hope has bought the UK’s first Cat 988K wheel loader, along with two Cat 966K XE loaders, two 980K wheel loaders, a 962K high-lift wheel loader and two Cat 390D LME excavators.
AS well as these, it has bought eight Cat 775G off-highway trucks and two 740B articulated dump trucks. Completing the multi-million pound package is a D6T LGP dozer and a pair of telehandlers.
Finning’s product support package includes onsite Eco-Drive operator training for Hope operators and site managers, equipment monitoring from its Finsight condition monitoring team and the use of the Vital Information Monitoring System (VIMS) data through Caterpillar’s MineStar system.
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When Hope was formed in January 2013, as a spin-off from the merger of Lafarge and Tarmac operations, it reviewed its fleet management operations and opted to bring it completely in-house.
“When it came to our mobile fleet strategy, we saw there was a clear opportunity to have a greater control and understanding of this key function,” explained divisional managing director Simon Philips. “Following detailed analysis, we decided to bring the operation of our mobile fleet completely in-house. We wanted to take a new approach to fleet modelling that would allow us to optimise site by site, but also have the in-built flexibility to move equipment across our entire operations.
“So when we went out to the market, we were not just looking for the best purchase price of a machine, we wanted to work with a supplier that was much more aligned with our entrepreneurial approach to doing business.”
Finning customer account manager Dean Turner said: “Since Hope Construction Materials was formed, we have worked closely with the business, fulfilling its requirements for the site, using our customer support fleet to ensure a smooth transition to the new equipment.”
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