Construction Plant News Editor Lee Jones gets the ‘load down’ on the latest plant transportation solution from Towmate.
As a brand of ATE, Towmate can point to over 25 years of know-how in supplying trailers and parts, and has poured all that experience into the development of the Rhino TXDP, a unit that can boast a number of industry-first features.
The guiding principle of the TXDP design has been safety. 70 per cent of the tragic deaths that occur when loading or unloading equipment from a vehicle are attributable to the machinery overturning, with poorly secured loads and items falling out of vehicles also areas of concern. Rather than rely on traditional ratchet straps, this trailer introduces a strapless system, making for a simple, quick, and effective one-man operation. It’s simply a matter of driving the digger onto the load bed in a forward-facing position and securing the dozer into the specially constructed Load Sentry system. Similarly, thanks to gas assisted technology, a single individual can raise, lower and position the 1,400 or 1,700mm ramp and its support legs.
Excavator owners and operators already familiar with manoeuvring plant onto trailers will be all-too aware of the disconcerting lurch in the machine between ramp and load bed. Thanks to the TXDP double angle ramp, however, that toppling effect is reduced, enhancing the safety and confidence of the driver. Not only that, but Towmate has incorporated steps adjacent to the mudguards so that the operator can move on and off the machine whilst maintaining three points of contact at all times, reducing the risk of a fall or trip.
In transit, thanks to the TXDP pivot axle system, all of the wheels are kept on the ground at any one time, providing a much smoother ride. Continuing the safety theme, a digger arm lock will prevent the boom swinging during transit, whilst an extended drawbar ensures the arm never comes into contact with the vehicle.
Often breakers and buckets will be secured between the tracks of the digger, making them vulnerable to theft, and damage. The TXDP addresses this issue with a demountable bucket locker and breaker store at the front of the trailer. A special safety bar means that separate store can be only loaded or unloaded from kerbside, and it can be removed completely if required. Indeed, a modular design is a recurring theme of this new plant transportation solution, with a one trailer fits all concept that allows components to be added or removed. As a result, the load bed can just as easily accommodate a roller as an excavator, as well as specific equipment for a particular job.
Tougher than the job that it’s designed to do is the promise from the manufacturer and that’s a pledge that is backed up with a three-year warranty, whilst features that are normally available as an option, such as LED lights, are included on the TXDP as standard, and that includes eight lashings points, each rated at 2 ½ tonne.
Any piece of plant is a significant investment for a building firm, which makes ensuring that it is securely and safely delivered to the job of paramount importance, and that is what the TXDP Plant Trailer provides. Not only that but, as your arsenal of equipment changes and the work you do evolves, it is versatile enough to adapt to your needs.
