Spirit 43 - Volvo Construction Equipment

The L220G boasts a 20% increase in lifting force and10% improvement in breakout force. Charles himself says he hasbeen impressed in particular by Volvo Construction Equipment’sOptiShift technology, providing improved productivity and fuelsavings in short cycle loading work, by the new bonnet design forease of maintenance and by the improvements to the CareCab.“Safety is a primary focus at our ports,” he says. “Weget lots of people walking around the wharfs and you have tobe aware of them all the time. It’s a confined area and you can’tmake mistakes when you’ve got machines weighing up to 40tonnes.”“So really good cab visibility and ergonomics are veryimportant. The Volvo cab design and controls mean operatorssimply don’t get tired like they used to. That makes them moreproductive and safer.”HOW TO FEEL FRESH AFTER A 12-HOUR SHIFT“You can put a 65-year-old person in one – that’s myage – and they can do a 12-hour shift and go home still feelingfresh. Drive them the way they’re designed to be driven and youcan sit there all day.”Talking to Charles, you get the impression that that’sexactly what he would like to do – sit in an L220G all day. Hislong-lasting love of machines, he acknowledges, means he’d swaphis Christchurch office for a Volvo cab any day.Most of his time is spent flying up and down NewZealand, monitoring C3’s fleet of loaders, excavators and forklifts.“I love getting out to our branches and talking to ourguys. It’s a lot better than paperwork! I like getting the overallsback on and getting in a machine or helping out in a workshop.”The company’s history goes back 50 years. Charles- known as ‘Pop’ by his colleagues - has been on board for thelast 30 of them, working his way up the ranks after joining as amachine operator.“do a 12-hour shift and gohome still feeling fresh –Drive them the way they’redesigned to be driven and youcan sit there all day.”He has no plans to retire in the foreseeable future. If itwere suggested that it was time for him to stand down from hiscurrent position, he says, he knows exactly what he would do.“Simple. I’d ask them to re-hire me as an operator.These new Volvos are so easy to operate, they’re a retirementperson’s dream.”Text: Tony LawrenceSPIRIT42