Porter Press Extra: New era for Terex Trucks
Terex Trucks are finding popularity with Porter Equipment customers, so Deals on Wheels visited the factory in Motherwell, Scotland to find out more
For almost 70 years, the Terex Trucks factory at Motherwell has been involved in the manufacture of trucks for the construction industry and it is that historic passion and devotion that has excelled the company to its elite position today.
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Terex has just added some upgrades to its TA300 model
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Although ownership of the factory has changed a few times over the years, its new owner has big ideas in store as well as major investment plans after purchasing the off-highway truck product line from Terex Corporation and forming the Terex Trucks brand four years ago.It was the years of expertise at the Motherwell facility that attracted the acquisition in the first place and big changes are underway.The business prepares to focus a lot of its energy on the Terex Trucks articulated dump truck range as it continues to gain market share globally.Terex Trucks manufacturing facility.
Terex Trucks Motherwell facility
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The Terex ADT range will continue to build at the Motherwell facility
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The Motherwell factory extends to 303,000 square feet inside and turns over around £150 million ($287m NZD) per year with 402 employees in the company. One of those employees with an incredible 48 years’ service to the company is production manager Archie Easton who knows every inch of the factory floor.
"We manufacture most of our own components for each of the trucks ourselves, therefore, we can stand over the high quality of the machining and workmanship," he says.
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Archie Easton
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"Every part is checked manually and by using ultrasonic to ensure welding is correct and that the part meets our high specifications."
The Terex Trucks factory floor operates a three shift pattern when demand is high for trucks, such as is the case now.
"On all our parts and machines, we use direct to metal painting where the parts are sprayed and baked to 80 degree Celsius for a one-hour period to ensure the proper finish," Archie says.
"When the trucks are assembled, they are tested for a total of eight to 10 hours before being handed over to the customer to ensure everything is as it should be."
Terex Trucks TA300
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Some final touches and this artic is ready for testing
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With the Generation 10 TA400 and TA300 launched two years ago, the Scottish factory is now unveiling its latest update—an upgraded version of the TA300. Top of the new feature list is a new transmission, which Terex Trucks say has improved fuel efficiency, performance, productivity, and operator comfort.
The TA300 incorporates the latest EP320 transmission from ZF as standard, improving fuel efficiency by five percent. The new transmission comes with eight forward gears as well as four reverse gears, higher overall gear ratio spread, equal ratio steps between gears, and optimised gear shifting with partial load shifts. All of this helps to ensure smoother gear shifting and thereby higher levels of operator comfort.
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Bodies ready for the next stage in the assembly
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The TA300 is also equipped with true independent front suspension as standard, further enhancing operator comfort, and enabling excellent traction control and maximum productivity in the most challenging of conditions.
For those with the need for speed, the TA300’s maximum speed has increased to 55km/h, up from 50km/h (31mph), which can potentially save money on more payloads during a working day.
Other operational features include automatic shifting with manual over-ride, a hydraulic integral retarder, and a hydraulic power-shift longitudinal differential lock. The TA300 also now comes with long life transmission fluid, increasing the length of time between oil maintenance intervals from 1000 to 4000 hours.
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A robust axle in the making
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Initially available from August in the higher regulated emissions markets of Europe and North America, Terex Trucks hope to make this model further available in other regions with new engine technology when it becomes available.
Terex Trucks product manager Scott Pollock says, "Introducing the new transmission to the TA300 articulated dump trucks continues Terex Trucks’ commitment to install product performance and productivity improvements that lead to lower operational costs for our customers.
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Scott Pollock
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"Developing and testing the new EP320 transmission for the TA300 was a collaborative effort between Terex Trucks and ZF. The new transmission has been calibrated specifically for the TA300 and rigorously tested for two years internally and by operators on real job sites, working in a variety of conditions.
"Operators have had nothing but praise for the upgraded machine. Among some of the most commonly cited benefits are the improved fuel efficiency and performance, as well as the smoother gear shift quality.
"The TA300’s fuel-efficient Scania DC9 engine meets the requirements of EU Stage 4/Tier 4 Final emissions legislation without a diesel particulate filter (DPF).The machine has fully enclosed, oil-cooled, multi-disc brakes at all six wheels, which are supported by both the engine brake and the transmission retarder, giving the operator, asTerex Trucks says, superb control and increasing safety and stability while providing a low cost of operation.
Terex Trucks ADTs global popularity
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Paul Douglas
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Terex Trucks articulated dump trucks are proving popular right around the world, with strongest sales currently being in North America, followed by South Africa, and also the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia.
Terex Trucks say their TA300 and TA400 models have captured the market and are currently experiencing an increase in demand particularly coming from New Zealand where new dealer Porter Equipment is generating a surge of interest in the trucks. Terex Trucks managing director Paul Douglas is in a confident mood about positioning of Terex Trucks worldwide.
"Overall, globally, the construction industry is in a positive phase. However, some areas such as Europe are ready to peak while others are still climbing the peak," he says. Paul has held the managing director title at Terex Trucks for the past eight years and has more than 32 years’ experience in the industry.
"The global market for articulated hauler trucks is around 6500 units per year, half of which is in North America."We export 90% of our machines outside the European Union. Our Terex trucks are attractive to customers, thanks to the three-year warranty we can offer due to our confidence in manufacturing our own parts, most of which cost less than they did in 2014.
"Globally, we have 50 Volvo dealers and 75 independent Terex Trucks dealers in operation; a healthy network representation to service all our major markets."
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