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The BIG Drive Home

4:00 pm 7:00 pm

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The BIG Drive Home

4:00 pm 7:00 pm


New Vehicles for Highways Team, Gritting in Staffordshire

Written by on 13 January 2025

Highways crews in Staffordshire, had a great Christmas surprise, with the delivery of 24 brand new fleet vehicles.

The new vehicles include 18 7.5 tonne tippers, 5 ‘hotboxes’ which can store hot bitumen ready for use on the county’s roads, and one 18 tonne tipper.

Taking into account the requests of the crews on the ground, the vehicles have been fitted with modern features to help teams when they are out and about across the county.

These include a five-way camera system to help driver visibility, heaters for drying wet clothes, radar vehicle detection, and high-power work lights.

To add to the service’s green credentials, all vehicles can run on hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), have LED lighting, and can be tipped electronically without the need for the engine to run.

The new vehicles are in addition to the nine all-electric Renault’s, purchased last year and used by inspectors up and down the county.

Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways 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 These 24 new vehicles will replace some of our older, outdated models.  Hopefully they will make life a bit easier for the teams as they work hard to fix more roads across the county.”

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While most people will be opening presents and tucking into their Christmas turkey, Staffordshire County Council’s fleet of 38 gritters and associated crews will still be ready to spring into action if temperatures plummet.

Although the weather is predicted to be mild, crews across the county will be on standby throughout the festive period, ready to roll if the temperature drops below freezing.

On routine winter days and nights, gritting crews focus on the major routes, extending to the wider network in prolonged ice and snow conditions.

The county’s hill contractors in the Moorlands will also be on standby to grit the higher ground if needed.

And with more than 20,000 tonnes of salt stockpiled, highways crews are well-equipped to battle any adverse weather conditions coming Staffordshire’s way.

As well as being on standby for gritting, crews will also be on call for any bad weather such as strong winds, heavy rain or storms.

Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways Mark Deaville said: “While most people will be looking forward to a relaxing Christmas break, our gritting crews will be on call throughout the festive season, ready to roll out across the county if the temperatures drop below freezing.

“Crews are on standby throughout Christmas and New Year to ensure we can keep people moving during the festive period, especially at a time when people will be travelling to see friends and family. This won’t just be for snow and ice though—as we’ve seen recently with Storm Darragh causing issues across the county, our crews are ready to handle whatever the weather throws at us and will pull out all the stops to keep out county moving.”