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Southern Cranes & Access has added two 150-tonne Mercedes-Benz Arocs tractor units, which work in tandem with a new Liebherr self-propelled crane worth £2 million, to its fleet.

The trucks pull five-axled Nooteboom low-loader trailers which are also new – taken together, the two truck and trailer combinations represent an additional ‘spend’ of more than £500,000.

Each rig transports loads weighing around 80 tonnes. Most of this is accounted for by the steel ballast that serves as counterweights to stabilise the 350-tonne crane during operation, although the trucks also carry winches, hook blocks and other equipment.

Southern Cranes & Access operates from depots in Horsham, West Sussex, and Croydon, Surrey. Supplied by Dealer Rossetts Commercials, its heavy haulage tractors are both Arocs 2563 models with flat-floored BigSpace cabs and high-torque (625hp) in-line six-cylinder engines.

The family-run business was founded by Mr Sadler’s father Mick, who has been involved in the crane industry since 1970. He was a director of Gamble & Sadler prior to 1997, when he launched Southern Crane Services, which later evolved into Southern Cranes & Access.