Transit Dropwell Luton Vans join Maun Motors Rental Fleet - Pantechnicons for Hire

Maun Motors has recently added some large volume Ford Transit Dropwell Lutons to its rental fleet of over 800 commercial vehicles.

These large luton-bodied vans are also known as "pantechnicons" and are popular with furniture companies and removals firms.  These particular Transits feature a powerful 2.4 litre TDCi turbo-diesel engine with 6-speed gearbox and they are fitted with quality JCP luton bodies that have an internal length (not including the luton head above the cab) of 4.57 metres (15 feet 2 inches) and a main floor length of 3.87 metres (12 feet 5 inches).

These Transits replace our popular Iveco Daily dropwell lutons which have featured on our hire fleet for several years.  They feature a special lowered section to the rear of the body, which allows the driver to easily access the load area when loading and unloading the van. 

 

As you can see from the above photographs, these large luton bodies feature internal tie-rails to allow cargo to be secured to the sides of the vehicle.  This is another handy feature for removals companies, because tall and top-heavy items such as wardrobes and grandfather clocks can be safely transported with less risk of damage from toppling over.

If you would like to enquire about hiring one of these spacious vans, or would like some figures on long-term rental or contract hire, please visit our rental enquiry page or call our hire department direct on 01773 810007

Maun Motors Self-Drive Installs Retrofit Anti-Fall or Fall-Arrest Webbing to Dropsides & Flatbed Lorries for its Truck Hire Customers

Utilising our own in-house body building workshops, Maun Motors can now install fall-arrest systems to our fleet of crane lorries, dropside and flatbed trucks, to help customers meet their health and safety commitments.  Upon request by an account customer, this safety equipment can be retro-fitted to an existing hire vehicle, or a new vehicle can be built to specification for a long-term rental contract.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, "Falls from vehicles are among the most common accidents involving workplace transport.", so more and more companies are looking to incorporate installation of fall prevention systems to their commercial vehicle fleet, including the rental and contract hire vehicles they operate. 
The two fall-arrest system designs we have produced so far incorporate different materials to suit individual customer requirements.

The first design features galvanised steel box section rails, which surround both sides anjd the rear of the load area.  The body pillars are extended and the bars attach to these by means of anti-luce fasteners.  This makes the ant-fall rails easy and quick to remove when access to the load area is required, but ensures a very robust fall prevention system.  Our design also incorporates a drop-down access ladder to allow operator access to the load area when required.  The downsides to this steel construction are additional weight (i.e. reduced payload) and, should any damage occur to the anti-fall rails, the replacement cost of manufacturing a new bespoke rail to fit.

Our steel rail fall-arrest system looks like this (click on images to enlarge):

The second configuration of system to prevent falls from vehicles incorporates nylon webbing tension straps, which again protect from falls over both sides and the rear of the vehicle.  Extended rear and centre pillars ensure that the straps remain in place and the tension of the straps can be controlled by the operator by means of a ratchet tensioning mechanism.  These straps are much more lightweight than the steel rail design and are designed to withstand regular use.  However, it is recommended that the ratchet and hook end-attachments are regularly lubricated and due to their construction the webbing straps can de prone to chaffing and cutting from cargo with sharp edges.  These straps are very economical, quick and easy to replace, should one become damaged.  To assist the operator/driver to access the load bed, removable grab-handles are located at access points and painted high-visibility yellow for ease of location.  Also, non-slip sections are fitted to the body side guards and side rave (again, painted in high-vis yellow) at all load area access points.

Our webbing strap fall-arrest system looks like this (click on images to enlarge):

If your company has requirements for renting a crane lorry, dropside or flatbed with a fall-prevention system fitted, then please call Maun Motors direct on 01773 810007 to discuss your requirements.

For further reading regarding the prevention of falls from vehicles, please visit the HSE website or download their online leaflet entitled Preventing Falls from Vehicles - Advice for workers.