JCB 535-125 Hi-Viz telehandler

Plant hire company Fork Rent plc has ordered 2,000 JCB Loadall telehandlers, the largest deal for the construction equipment maker.

Supplied over three years through dealer Watling JCB, the order includes the range from the compact 520-40 to the 17-metre 540-170 and the new HiViz models recently shown at the Conexpo show in Las Vegas.

Fork Rent's managing director, Guy Nicholls, says the new order ensures its fleet is "the youngest and most modern" on the market. The dealer's policy is to replace its equipment every 12 to 14 months.

"We are an ambitious company and we pride ourselves on delivering the best customer service in the business and offering higher specification machines than our competitors," Nicholls says. In April 2006, Fork Rent ordered 1,000 Loadalls (Forkliftaction.com News #260).

Watling JCB's managing director Richard Telfer says the biggest single order in the dealer's history underlines the shared aims of the two businesses.

"The new HiViz Loadalls are a case in point. The clear benefits these machines will bring to Fork Rent's customers are of enormous importance to Trudi and Guy Nicholls, who clearly seek the safest and most comfortable machines for their customers," Telfer says.

Fork Rent was established 40 years ago by Percy Nicholls. The Ipswich-based firm is now run by his son, Guy, and daughter, Trudi. Their aim is to provide a complete solution for customers through a fleet of 1,400 vehicles including JCB backhoe loaders and telehandlers and a full range of other construction equipment.

JCB has been manufacturing Loadalls since 1977. The low boom 535-125 and 535-140 Hi-Viz machines are the latest additions to the range.