As the company celebrates its 30th anniversary, J O’Doherty Waste Management of Edmonton in north London has taken delivery of an STGO Cat 2 plated (to 80-tonnes) Volvo FH 6×4 and a 540hp FMX 6×4 tractor unit from Volvo Truck and Bus Centre London, Enfield.

The FH is predominantly being used to move the company’s Volvo excavators and wheeled loaders between sites, while the FMX tractor unit is coupled to a Titan trailer with a Keith walking floor for the movement of general household waste within London and the Home Counties.

J O’Doherty Transport Manager Matt Tyler says: “We pretty much started out with Volvo and today the reliability and appearance of the trucks means there’s really no need to look elsewhere. We really like the Volvo product, the safety features, the build quality and, frankly, the styling. The current generation trucks simply stand out. They look like they mean business and they live up to their looks.”

When it comes to heavy haulage, the Volvo FH 6×4 with heavy duty front bumper is powered by a 6-cylinder 12.8 litre D13K engine producing 540hp and up to 2600Nm of torque. “As well as our own plant we do also move Embassy Demolition Contractors’ machines around, the largest of which is a Volvo EC700B, which weighs in at some 70-tonnes,” says Matt.

He adds, “Embassy Demolition, which is essentially a sister company to J. O’Doherty Waste Management, also operates a 64-tonne high reach Volvo EC480 demolition excavator, so we needed a strong truck that offered us a GCW of 80-tonnes. The Volvo FH in combination with the 4-axle, rear steer Faymonville extending-bed low loader ticks all the boxes.”

The standard Globetrotter cab is equipped with a single bunk and features leather upholstery. “Externally, and in conjunction with dealership, we had larger fuel and hydraulic tanks fitted,” says Matt. “The latter gives us the flexibility to use the FH in conjunction with a range of trailers, so when it is not on low-loader duties, it can be put to service with a walking floor or tipper.”

The new Volvo FMX 6×4 tractor unit matches the FH in terms of in cab comforts. Also powered by the 480hp engine, the FMX tractor unit is considered very much a blood relative of the company’s tipper fleet. “We have a number of FMX 8×4 tippers and we really like them,” says Matt. “It really is on the back of our experience with them that we opted to go for the FMX tractor unit. Furthermore, it mirrors the look, which sends a powerful message about our brand.”