HAMILTON WASTE & RECYCLING TURNS TO WHEELY-SAFE AFTER ONE OF ITS TRUCKS WAS HIT BY A LOOSE WHEEL

East Lothian-based Hamilton Waste & Recycling is rolling out Wheely-Safe’s world-leading technology across its 35-strong truck fleet having experienced first-hand the perilous dangers of wheel loss.

The recycling and waste management business aims to eliminate any risk of human-error by installing the system, following a successful trial. The move to protect its fleet follows an incident a few years ago that left a lasting impact on the business.

Keir Hamilton, Director at Hamilton Waste & Recycling, says: “One of our trucks was hit by a loose wheel that had come off a vehicle travelling the opposite way. It came across the central carriageway of the Edinburgh City Bypass and hit our truck. The driver never returned to work, but it could have been even worse.

“That has always played on my mind, and I wanted to make sure our fleet had the very best technology to make sure a wheel never comes off one of our trucks.

“Operating in the waste sector, we need to be extra vigilant as the trucks are often working off-road on building sites with broken bricks, blocks, nails and other things that puncture and damage the tyres. That leads to the tyres being changed much more often than normal haulage fleets – meaning there is a higher chance of the wheel nuts coming loose if they are not torqued and retorqued correctly.”

Before opting to roll out Wheely-Safe’s technology across its fleet, Hamilton Waste & Recycling initially tested the system on the five different truck models it operates – including skip loaders, tippers and two tractor units. Having been impressed with the simplicity and effectiveness of the technology the business is now in the process of fitting it on every one of its 35 trucks.

The roll out will see the firm’s team of in-house technicians fit a pair of wheel loss brackets and sensors on each wheel, which transmit an in-motion alert to a solar-powered receiver in the cab, should the wheel nuts start to loosen. The same sensor also monitors heat and can quickly identify a temperature abnormality from the brakes or hub.

“It is really simple to install and very easy for the drivers to operate,” adds Hamilton. “Having this technology fitted improves the safety of our own trucks, limiting risk to our drivers, other road users and pedestrians.”

ends

Notes to editor:

Wheely-Safe Ltd is a technology start-up founded in 2010 by two lifelong friends – Gary Thomas, a Director of his own transport compliance consultancy, and Gary Broadfield, a Director of Technology and serial inventor for a large Japanese electronics manufacturer. Together they brought the marriage of skills required to help solve wheel loss issues in the automotive sector, and to tackle the huge number of vehicles driving every day on under-inflated tyres. The early years of Wheely-Safe concentrated on attaining worldwide patent protection and technology small enough to fit near the wheels of all vehicle types, from cars and vans to trucks and trailers – with its first products launched into the market during 2018. www.wheely-safe.com

Hamilton Waste & Recycling is Scotland’s first carbon neutral waste management company. The company processes over 87,000 tonnes of waste a year diverting over 99% of the waste it processes from landfill. Last year the company saved over 71,000 tonnes of carbon equivalent as a result of its recycling activities while its waste derived fuel products offset the use of approximately 17,000 tonnes of coal.  For more information visit – http://www.hamiltonwaste.com

For further press information please contact:

Dan Jones or James Keeler at Garnett Keeler PR on 020 8647 4467 or by email to dan.jones@garnettkeeler.com / james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com

To access Wheely-Safe’s online newsroom please visit https://www.gk.news/wheelysafe

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