Whilst payload, capacity, robustness and ease of operation are all vital elements that make a Mecalac dumper essential for your worksite, arguably the most critical choice you should make when deciding on the right truck is to ensure you use one with four wheel drive.
Mecalac’s entire range has highly capable four-wheel drive facilities, from the huge 9MDX to the versatile and highly advanced Revotruck series, and this matters when you are working on construction sites with various types of rough terrain.
Gravel, mud, soft sand and snow are often common elements of a winter construction site, and the right kind of dumper truck must be able to comfortably navigate this terrain.
How does Mecalac’s four-wheel-drive hydrostatic transmission help with this? The best place to start answering this is by explaining why four wheel drive is so essential.
Why Does Four Wheel Drive Matter?
A four wheel drive system is a system where every wheel of your truck is powered at the same time and ensures that your truck keeps moving forward even if one or more of the wheels has gotten stuck, has slipped or is struggling with traction.
As construction sites often have a range of surfaces, four wheel drive allows a truck to move on all of them at once by driving power to each wheel as and when it is needed.
Mecalac uses a hydrostatic transmission system to provide permanent four wheel drive as standard
Is Four Wheel Drive The Same As Four Wheel Steering
No, although the Revotruck has four-wheel steering and even the option for sideways “crab” movement.
Four-wheel steering is where every single wheel can turn, with both the front and rear axles turning independently of each other.
This is important for making very tight turns, as a truck needs less space to swing around to get back into the right direction.