At Hi-Way Services, we’re committed to providing the best quality service possible to all of our clients. We aim to get to every job faster and do it better, and are constantly reevaluating our methods to achieve this. A pillar of this strategy is continual investment in our fleet – updating the technology we use every day, and improving the efficiency of our work in the process.
As part of this strategy, we’re pleased to announce the acquisition of a brand new high friction surfacing truck (HFS). These trucks help us to provide anti-skid protection on road around the country, ranging from junctions and roundabouts to crossings and other sites with a high potential for accidents.
A high friction surface creates smaller, more numerous points of contact for a vehicle’s tyres, improving grip and reducing the chance of skids. RoSPA statistics show that the use of high-friction surfacing reduces accidents by 57%, saving lives and limiting the economic impact of disruption on the road network.
Our new truck is a 2019 plate, with a range covering the entire South East. As well as being our third HFS truck, it’s our first HFS vehicle to be fully compliant with the new Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in London. This not only helps us to save money, but also contributes to a healthier carbon footprint – something we made sure to consider in the revamp of our Littlehampton depot.
Our purchase of a brand new HFS truck is part of an ongoing programme of truck acquisitions. Having started out buying older vehicles and retrofitting them to suit our purposes, we realised that newer, purpose-built vehicles would better suit our needs. Since then we’ve been investing in around two trucks a year from Somerford Equipment, phasing out the older vehicles as we go. We’ve invested in ten new trucks to date, and are planning another purchase soon.
HFS trucks carry pre-heaters, which allow us to transport and prepare a special mix of binder and calcined bauxite. Once this has been heated up and mixed, it’s then dispensed into buckets, and hand-screeded using wide moulds. Operatives distribute the mixture transversely across the carriageway, with each strip covering 500mm and on average delivering 500m2 per shift.
The new truck offers numerous benefits to our operatives. As well as providing being easier and more intuitive to use, it’s also easier to maintain, and should be less likely to break down. As the new vehicles are all from the same supplier, the parts needed to repair them are also standardised. This allows us to keep spare parts in stock, allowing us to make quick repairs if something does go wrong.
High friction surfacing is constantly evolving as technology and methods improve, and our approach to improving our stock reflects this. We’ll continue to invest to ensure that Hi-Way Services is at the cutting edge – delivering the best service for the South of England.
