Totalkare washbay lifts help get buses test-ready
Bus operator National Express West Midlands has installed a mobile lifting solution for vehicle washing at its West Bromwich depot, with assistance from lifting and testing experts Totalkare.
Part of the wider global National Express Group, the fleet has a total of 1,600 vehicles, and transports hundreds of thousands of passengers every day.
National Express West Midlands’ West Bromwich depot had been using a third-party to clean the underside of its vehicles ahead of annual MOT tests. However, the recent investment in a set of Totalkare’s purpose-designed washbay mobile column lifts, housed on-site, has reduced those third-party costs and improved fleet availability, meaning buses are back out on the road serving the region’s customers much sooner.
While there is no specific requirement to have the underside of a vehicle washed before its MOT, buses out on the road all day everyday can benefit from an underside clean to ensure examiners can clearly inspect it during the test.
Specifically designed for outdoor use, the G8AC washbay mobile column lift is fully galvanised with sealed bearings, and purpose-built to provide long-term protection from water ingress.
With a safe working load capacity of 7,500kg per column, its adjustable forks can accommodate a range of wheel diameters and the columns themselves can be configured in sets of four, six or eight depending on the number of wheel axles in the vehicles being lifted.
The G8AC is easily manoeuvrable and requires no installation or ground preparation work before use which, says Totalkare, makes it a much more flexible and cost-effective alternative to a permanent vehicle wash installation.
“We’ve been using Totalkare’s mobile column lifts in our workshops for many years and have always been pleased with the quality of aftersales service provided to us,” said Tim Parker, engineering manager at National Express West Midlands’ West Bromwich depot.
“Once we’d identified the requirement for a set of washbay-suitable mobile column lifts, talking to Totalkare was the logical decision.”
“It’s great to continue our excellent relationship with National Express West Midlands through the provision of this set of washbay mobile column lifts,” added Brian Young, national account manager at Totalkare.
“Unlike other products on the market which may be supplied with covers, the G8AC is the only genuinely fit-for-purpose solution in the UK for companies seeking a flexible vehicle lifting solution for chassis washing.”
