CHRISTMAS has come early for highways crews in Staffordshire after they took delivery of 24 new vehicles.
They include 7.5 tonne tippers, hotboxes for storing hot bitumen and an 18 tonne tipper.
The vehicles have also been fitted with camera systems to help driver visibility, heaters for drying wet clothes and high-power work lights.
Each can also run on hydrogenated vegetable oil and can be tipped electronically without the need for the engine to run.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for strategic highways, Cllr Mark Deaville, said:
“Our highways vehicles cover thousands of miles across the county, so it makes sense to review our fleet on a regular basis.
“This ensures that we are getting value for money, and also helping our crews do the best they can and work as efficiently as possible. These 24 new vehicles will replace some of our older, outdated models.
“We have invested heavily in Staffordshire’s highways over the past few years to ensure we stay up to date with equipment and technology. We’ve also listened to what our crews want to ensure they can get the best out of these new vehicles too.
“Hopefully they will make life a bit easier for the teams as they work hard to fix more roads across the county.”
Some of the vehicles will operate from the county council’s Lichfield depot.