The latest addition to the Recoverymen fleet represents a 'double first' - it's the north-west London operator's first chassis to meet Euro 5 regulations and its first to be fitted with a Dyson Hydraloader Sla (Super Low approach) slidebed.
Recoverymen is a sister company to Tyremen, a leading supplier of car, truck and plant tyres to some 1,200 companies across London and the Home Counties; tyres supplied by Tyremen are currently being fitted to much of the plant now working on the 2012 Olympics site.
Operating from Staples Corner, at the junction of the North Circular and Edgware Road, Tyreman was founded 11 years ago by Managing Director Peter Harrison, who then launched Recoverymen in 2007.
"I realised that many of the companies to whom we were supplying tyres also required rescue and recovery back-up," he explains. "The two businesses complement each other perfectly, and provide a first-class service to our customers."
Recoverymen's new Hydraloader SLa is mounted on a 12-tonne Renault Midlum 220.12 crew cab chassis that meets Euro 5 emissions limits. Its steel Hydraloader bed offers a market-leading approach angle of just 4.9 degrees.
Recoverymen operates a couple of heavy recovery units: a Dyson NRC 9735 Slider on a Volvo chassis, and a low-loader trailer which is pulled by a Scania tractor. The company's other recovery vehicles are both Hydraloader La slidebeds built by Roger Dyson at its production facility in Droitwich, Worcestershire.
Peter Harrison says: "We've gone for the Euro 5 chassis because we're determined to stay ahead of the game as far as the London Low Emission Zone is concerned. The new rules that kicked in for January 2012 mean you have to be running Euro 4 trucks within Greater London, so this vehicle should remain compliant for some time into the future.
"And we've chosen Roger's Super Low approach Hydraloader this time," he continues, "because a lot of the companies for which we work have sports cars and other low-slung models on their fleets. The very low approach angle to the slidebed means there's no risk of damaging them when undertaking a recovery."
Peter adds: "Roger's a first class supplier. His equipment is excellent and he's very personable - I like the fact that if I need to do so, I can always speak to the man himself."