Tarmac, UK

Tarmac Building Products (TBP)  is the UK’s leading supplier of heavy building products, providing customers with solutions for a wide variety of construction projects throughout the built environment.

With a strong brand and products, TBP required robust equipment to help ensure the materials handling work is carried out successfully. This includes the movement of materials at different sites in the UK using forklift trucks.

Previous fleet of forklifts was quite old and out of date, and as such, TBP ran a replacement programme to purchase new kit. These trucks had done quite a few hours over their lifetime and were nearing the end of their useful life. It was really a balance between whether TBP was going to service them or replace them.

The solution was to supply a new fleet of 13 Kalmar medium forklift trucks. Each type of forklift is designed to offer benefits for specific environments, making them ideal for loading the range of heavy construction materials used by TBP. The new fleet of machines offers high performance and manoeuvrability; for example, all of forklift trucks are equipped with the latest generation Stage IIIB engines for lower fuel consumption. The hydraulic system uses variable pumps for heavy lifting, meaning that energy use is restricted to actual performance, while the innovative new EGO cabin increases driver comfort and productivity.

TBP is thrilled with its investment in the new forklift fleet, and the drivers are particularly pleased with the improved comfort, ergonomics, driveability and safety offered by their new machines.

It's quite common for operators to like a particular brand of truck, and TBP drivers especially liked Kalmar. Using trucks they are familiar with means TBP drivers won’t be compromising on their safety. The control systems are also very high quality, with a smaller turning circle, making the trucks easier and better suited to use in the heavyduty environments, which Kalmar machines are particularly designed for.