tipcon on Top form

Last year, the annual tippermen's showcase was doom and gloom personified.

This year, it's high pressure all the way as the truck makers look set to continue the recovery which began to stir just after the 1993 event. Talk about a change of mood! There was even a whisper of tipper rates being uplifted as the construction industry begins to stir.

Tippers are traditionally the non-glamorous end of haulage, despite efforts by PR men to uplift the horny-handed brigade to the status of folk heroes.

Tipcon'94 is stuffed full of really quite good-looking trucks and the sales people are rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of earning a bit of commission. With eight-wheeler tipper chassis sales up by 67% (or 64% depending on whose set of figures you listen to) and six-wheeler sales ditto by 34%, there's room for hope, even though the increases are from a low starting point.

As David Gill, supremo of Leyland DAF, put it succinctly: 'In Yorkshire they say 64% of nowt much is still nowt much.' But he was smiling as he said it, and his company's turn-around from debacle to profit must fire the enthusiasm of the industry.

He ordered 35 eight-wheeler tipper chassis for January or February delivery and despite a heart-stopping few weeks they'd all gone by mid-March. A happy man. The 75/85 series multi-wheelers from Leyland DAF looks set fair to carry on the successes of its Constructor forebears. The top of the range 95-500 tractor is poised to come soon too, but that's not for many tippermen.

Volvo, too, was smiling. It has high hopes for its Powertronic transmission models which put five- or six-speed powershift automatic transmissions at the forefront of truck technology.

Pride of place at the show is an FL10 T-ride eight-legger with Powertronic, a Mackworth alloy aggregate body and Harsh tipping gear. Volvo's Trevor Longcroft, never a man for flippant information, says: 'A switched-on aggregate haulier with a hefty clutch/brake maintenance bill could find he was justifying the extra initial cost of Powertronic in just two years of operation. After that, he's winning all the way to the end of his whole-life costings. Not to mention the stress relief for the driver.'

Mercedes Benz has high hopes too for its new six- and eight-leg machines. Although they aren't the lightest in the class, they do have a reputation for near-legendary toughness and superb residual value retention. With new Euro 1 V-configuration diesels, more power and more torque, MB will make its presence felt more than ever with these new models.

MAN has suffered with the rest in the recession, but it started to climb out of the trough with a vengeance last year with its newly-announced 7.5t GVW range. With multi-wheel tippers in particular, its eight-wheeler has achieved sales of 44 units registered so far and there are more than 100 in build and awaiting delivery. It's also tackling the theft problem by offering a wide range of anti-theft devices under its GSD label. Options range from cab entry alarms to fuel valve, brake or even electronics immobilisers.

Foden, too, has been enjoying success with its particular blend of chassis and engine options (even trim options) persuading independent-minded operators that it has the answers to their particular problems. CJ tested a 3325 recently and its blend of Cummins L10 power, optional 13-speed gearbox and light tare weight proved very economical indeed. But the big Foden news at Tipcon wasn't a tipper at all but a mixer chassis. This is a 3000 series chassis fitted with Perkins Eagle 335Tx engine and a Ritemixer 6.7m3 mixer which only tares-out at 10.3t. That means a full 6m3 of readymixed, but still weighing in at under 25t gross, so beating the VED threshold. Plenty of power from the Eagle 335 Tx, too.

Iveco Ford showed EuroTrakker at Harrogate for the first time and truckies CJ spoke to reckoned it's been worth the wait. So long as the firm can deliver them fast enough, there's sure to be a faithful following. The Iveco Ford marketing machine will be getting into overdrive in the present marketing bonanza. The lightweight EuroTrakker 320 eight-wheeler from Seddon Atkinson's plant in Lancashire looks interesting, too. Just what proportion of overall unit sales it captures will make fascinating reading at the end of 1994.

ERF had three chassis at Harrogate, but really just one was specific to our industry. The 26t GVW ES8.24 six-wheeler was kitted out in Trio Container's livery. It joins the Milton Keynes-based company as part of its container hire fleet. It features Telehoist BG16 hooklift equipment, and has a Cummins 180kW power unit and Norde rubber suspension to the rear bogie.

Just in case you thought you hadn't seen many new Hino trucks on the road lately get your spotting eyes peeled! The sales fall-off was because the old model power unit couldn't meet Euro 1. But Harris (UK) has bounced back with two new models on show at Tipcon'94. The FY1P KUM eight-wheeler is offered with either 225kW or 265kW six-cylinder Hino diesels and Fuller RTX 11609 gearbox. The 26t GVW six-legger has the same gearbox, but only comes with the 225kW engine. Both are lighter than before, but feature redesigned cabs with air suspension standard and a self-seeking audio system.