All plated at 44-tonnes gross train weight, the new vehicles will haul McBurney’s fleet of tri-axle Gray and Adams refrigerated trailers and SDC curtainsiders on a variety of transport operations throughout Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Europe. The R 730, which features Scania’s 730 horsepower 3,500Nm torque V8 power unit and as such is the world’s most powerful truck, is being purchased specifically for use on the company’s long distance European routes.

“There’s no doubting the quality of Scania vehicles; they are excellent, reliable products which perform well in all situations,” comments McBurney Transport founder Norman McBurney. “The support we receive from Road Trucks is also first class and it is reassuring to know that other members of Scania’s international service network are never far away should we ever need them.”

Founded in 1965, Norman McBurney began as an owner-driver with a single vehicle. Over the years the company has continually grown and expanded and today employs in excess of 700 persons. In addition to refrigerated transport and general haulage, the company offers storage and distribution services.

The firm has a second operating base in Liverpool and in celebration of Liverpool Football Club one of the R 480s sports a specially commissioned livery featuring images of some of the club’s legendary players and managers from over the years.

The CARA is the result of a development partnership involving two Fire and Rescue services, Cambridgeshire and Hereford & Worcester, Scania, G. B. Fire, and Firebuy Ltd.

Designed to meet a broad range of operational requirements, the versatile and flexible CARA combines day-to-day fire and rescue capability with an aerial platform on an 18-tonne four-by-two chassis equipped with a purpose-built crew cab and ample stowage space.

“This joint-project actually began as two separate projects when both Cambridgeshire and Hereford & Worcester commenced scoping exercises and preparing business cases for replacement vehicles,” comments Graham Maltby, Workstream Director – Fire Vehicles & Emergency Response Equipment  for Firebuy Limited.  “Cambridgeshire was looking to renew its aerial capability, whilst Hereford & Worcester focused on meeting the operational requirements of its north-east area.  For both Services, it emerged that a vehicle with fire fighting and rescue capability and an aerial platform would be the preferred option.

“Both Services then approached Firebuy, which identified an opportunity for collaborative procurement.  It also presented a case for inter-operability across the service.”

Based on a 310 horsepower Scania P 310 fire appliance chassis equipped with Scania’s factory-built all-steel, six man safety crew cab, an on-board extinguishing capacity of 1,500-litres of water, plus any supplementary in-built foam systems, was required by both Services.  The joint-specification also called for an equipment carrying capacity of a minimum of one tonne, which was to achieved on a four-by-two vehicle, thereby also permitting operation in confined spaces.

Given the constraints of a 4×2 18-tonne chassis, the only aerial package available to the project was the Magirus Multistar.  Comprising a two-piece articulated boom and  three telescopic booms, this versatile item of equipment provides a maximum cage working height of 31-metres plus the capability to operate at up to 12-metres below ground level.