Concrete specialist Trenchcon has received the UK’s first Volvo FE low-entry cab (LEC) 6x2 rigid truck-mixer unit.

Based in north-west London, the 6m³ truck-mixer was chosen for its enhanced direct vision for drivers, as well as its easy maneuverability.

Trenchcon MD Ronan Byrne said: “With the Volvo FE LEC, we are paving the way for a new type of construction truck for use in the urban environment.”

He added the driver’s lowered seating position compared with a standard six-wheel mixer significantly improved road safety for vulnerable road users.

“The type of work we do means the FE LEC doesn’t need to go off-road,” said Byrne.

“We needed the rear-steer lift axle for maneuverability and the I-Shift automated gearbox as the best solution available to help the driver manage deliveries through the constant stop-start heavy traffic.”

“It’s the first truck of its kind for Volvo and we will see many more operators opting for this type of mixer in London.”

The new FE LEC will join Trenchcon’s 20-strong fleet of 4m³, 6m³ and 8m³ mixers.

To ensure the FE LEC offered the top level of direct vision and maneuverability, Trenchcon worked in partnership with Volvo to help develop its specification.

It features a 320hp engine, coupled to a direct top I-Shift automated gearbox and a single reduction rear axle.

“This appears to be a far more efficient solution than other vehicles designed for the city environment based on refuse specs, which call for automatic transmission coupled to a hub-reduction axle, especially in and around the orbital roads,” said Volvo Trucks head of product management John Comer.

“In this respect the Volvo FE LEC will help with both London direct vision, carbon and increasingly more important, air quality demands, and it is better for the bottom line,” he added.

The truck also features air suspension on all three axles, a two-step entry steel safety cab, a lowered window in the nearside door to improve driver visibility alongside the cab, and a four-way Brigade safety camera system,

It is equipped with a Cifa truck mixer body fitted by Wilcox.