The Martin Group’s portfolio of work continues to grow with the award of a contract to HW Martin (Plant) Ltd to overhaul five Oshkosh Heavy Equipment Transporters (HETs) for FTX Logistics Ltd. FTX provides services to the British Armed Forces and awarded this prestigious overhaul contract to HW Martin (Plant) Ltd in recognition of its exceptional experience and technical competence.
The primary purpose of the HETs is to haul the main battle tank (such as the Challenger 2) or other armoured and self-propelled vehicles. HETs are also suitable for carrying a wide variety of other logistical loads.
The Oshkosh eight-wheel drive tractor has a 700-horsepower 18-litre Caterpillar engine, with first and last axle steering and operates at a weight of 118 tonnes when carrying a 72-tonne Challenger 2 tank. It is capable of transporting its load across a wide range of terrains including un-paved roads and desert, with a cab large enough to carry two crews to allow continuous operation if needed. The Oshkosh M1070F was specially developed for the British Army and is the largest and most powerful tank transporter ever to be used by our Armed Forces.
Five Oshkosh M1070F tractor units were overhauled by HW Martin (Plant) Ltd (see picture, above). Each of the five vehicles was subjected to a detailed overhaul by the company’s team of technicians at its head office workshops in Derbyshire.
The overhaul was very extensive and saw the vehicle stripped back to the chassis rails. With cab, engine, transmission and axles removed and overhauled, and any worn or damaged parts replaced, the vehicles were re-assembled and subjected to rigorous testing and quality inspections. They were finally approved to re-enter service with FTX, to be deployed to duties within the Armed Forces.
The project began in October 2019 and took almost 2 years to complete. As a result of the work undertaken by HW Martin (Plant) Ltd the vehicles will go on to provide many more years of service to the Armed Forces.
Geoff Kearsley, Operations Manager of HW Martin (Plant) Ltd, spoke about the importance of the project: “Our company has undertaken many prestigious projects over the years. This work for FTX Logistics on behalf of the Armed Forces is definitely up there amongst one of the largest. All the technicians took great pride in their involvement in the job, knowing that they have contributed to literally keeping the wheels turning for our military.
“We regularly undertake maintenance, service and repair work for a wide range of customers, from haulage companies to the Ambulance Service. We were pleased to be able to deliver this contract on time and within budget to our customer FTX Logistics”.
For more information on the Plant company and to make an enquiry, please visit www.hwmartin.com/plant/ or call 01773 813 214.