Cox Cranes

HEAVY GOING

Words: Ronnie Hitchens Photographs: Karl Hopkinson

J.L. Cox are heavyweights of the haulage industry in more ways than one. Their experience, expertise and loyal customer base have seen them build a deserved reputation as international specialists in the heavy haulage sector. DAF Driver magazine caught up with the DAF Virtual Truck Show category winner.

It feels apt that a trip to J.L. Cox means a visit to the engine room of the industrial revolution. The Black Country, an area to the west of Birmingham, is recognised worldwide as one of the birthplaces of industrialisation in the 18th century. Steel mills, foundries, glassworks and coking plants stretched as far as the eye could see.

Given the local history, it’s no coincidence to find a heavy and abnormal-load haulage firm operating out of a yard in Oldbury. The company’s lineage stretches back to 1943 - when the Black Country was still a global manufacturing hub – and is still run by the Cox family today. Brothers Julian and Jonathan Cox are at the helm, supported by son and nephew, Jack.

“G.Cox Cranes came about as a sideline to a construction business,” explains Jason Coles, J.L. Cox driver and show entrant. “Back then, they needed to buy themselves a crane for the

major lifting. They were regularly approached by other businesses wanting to hire the crane, and the rest as they say is history.”

Describing J.L. Cox as a heavy haulier doesn’t really do justice to the expertise afforded by the team, currently 25 strong. Dealing with anything from fermenting vessels and silos to galvanizing pots, steel presses, small buildings and even large zoo animals, the removal and installation of their cargo is far from simple.

“It’s not often that we do more than one job in a day,” Jason claims. “We recently moved a plant in its entirety to a new site. It was 13 hours a day for a week and the lorry covered 60 miles – it was only two or three miles up the road.

“Every day is so different. I’ve moved a complete, intact cricket pavilion across five fields. We’ve dismantled and reassembled the side of a building to remove brewing equipment. We carry injection moulding machines so big that they must be dismantled and moved using seven containers. Some days I don’t even touch the lorry keys. There’s plenty of engineering and elbow grease involved. You’re never

“YOU’RE NEVER BORED OR JUST POUNDING THE MOTORWAY FOR HOURS ON END.”

Top: Heavy load needs a heavy fork lift Middle: Gently does it.. Bottom: Note the fork lift’s heavy counter weights

bored or just pounding the motorway for hours on end. It’s really enjoyable.”

Form and function

Though not DAF-exclusive, the J.L. Cox yard is mostly home to Leylandbuilt machinery. The most notable exceptions being two Scania rigids on ’03’ and ‘61’ plates. However, it was Jason’s DAF XF 530 FTS 6x2 tractor, plated to 80-tonnes, that took the top prize in the ‘Best Show Truck’ category at DAF’s Virtual Truck Show #2 earlier this year.

“It’s very much my truck”, Jason tells DAF Driver with pride. “The other team members won’t drive it unless I’m on holiday and they’re really desperate. It’s an 80-tonne twin wheel, with a tag lift, hub reduction and a 16-speed automated gearbox with performance settings from the factory.”

As can be expected for the winner of ‘Best Show Truck’, Jason and the J.L. Cox team have invested both time and money in making the truck unique. External modifications include a Truckmax twin-pipe exhaust system, side locker, chassis infills, Kelsa air and light bars, premium lighting kit and Alcoa wheels.

Inside, the truck is lavishly appointed with a Rusty Trucks interior with under bunk and cupboard leather trim. An illuminated DAF sign lights up the cab, while leather dash and floor mats and a centre mat embroidered with J.L. Cox, add to the look. To top it off, a 12-inch, 1000w bass speaker, two amps and nine speakers deliver exceptional audio quality.

“I certainly enjoy driving it. The driving position is great and it’s really comfortable to be behind the wheel for hours on end,” Jason says. “Some people might say that it’s a little underpowered for our needs, but we appreciate that we are heavy hauliers, and it takes everything that we throw at it in its stride. Power is of course important, but our trailers are long and our loads unforgiving, so the XF’s manoeuvrability and exceptional visibility is critical for us. We often find that the gearbox is at its best with a heavy load on board, too.

“Before the XF, I’d been driving Scania’, but I’ve really got used to the DAF way of life. When we ordered it, I was told that I could pretty much specify it to have anything I wanted, which has made it feel personal to me. I asked the bosses if I could spec a £475 exhaust tip and they said, so long as I’m in the yard at 6am on Monday morning, I can have whatever I like. You can’t say fairer than that!” Jason and the team have been so impressed by the performance of the XF that they’re looking to the next generation DAF range for their 80th anniversary celebration.

“We’re looking at ways to celebrate our 80th Birthday in 2023, and a new truck in a celebration livery is looking to be a likely option. It’s still early days, but we’re looking at either a New Generation DAF XG or XG+. There is talk of maybe getting a Scania V8, but I’m pushing for the DAF. It’s comfier, the cab is more spacious, it has a better bed and a more modern dashboard.”

“I’m already imagining how it would look. I think we’d almost certainly give it the works, side skirts, bumper bar, old fashioned pinstriping. I think it would be a great way of marking such a landmark in the company’s history.”

A taste of victory

Talking to Jason, his enthusiasm for trucking is undeniable. Backed wholeheartedly by the team at J.L. Cox, it’s a passion that has seen him win multiple prizes at truck shows up and down the country, with the DAF Virtual Truck Show win his first in the XF.

“I’ve been enthused by trucks ever since I passed my HGV test,” Jason says. “I wasn’t able to do everything

I wanted modification-wise at that point. My first truck was a Scania 112 and I couldn’t afford to customise it with the latest and greatest Kelsa lightbar. So, it was a case of increasing the roof angle and wiring in four spotlights. That’s where the passion for upgrading began.

“I try to take the truck to as many shows as I can. Normally before a big weekend, I’ll book Thursday and Friday off to give it a good clean. Jack likes to see them clean and tidy, so he’ll often come and help. There are times where we’ve been working on it until midnight the night before, sorting out the finishing touches. It’s a lot of elbow grease, but I enjoy it and it’s well worth it when the judges recognise us.”

For the DAF Virtual Truck Show judges, it was a combination of exquisite attention to detail and sympathetic modifications that stood out. DAF Driver was keen to understand what victory means to Jason and J.L. Cox.

“I was stunned – I certainly wasn’t expecting it!” claims Jason. “It actually means the world to an enthusiast like me. The judges understand and appreciate the effort that we’ve put into preparing the truck for show and display and it’s paid off. The rest of the team are thrilled too.

“I’m excited for the plans that we’ve got for the truck next year. We’ve naturally been a little limited by what we could do this year because of the pandemic, but we’ll be able to do more shows in the next 12 months. There’s a group of us from different companies who meet up across the country with our trucks and we’ve all become good friends. It’s a great community and one that I’m proud to be a part of.”

DDM

“I TRY TO TAKE THE TRUCK TO AS MANY SHOWS AS I CAN”

Jason’s XF 530 6x2 FTS tractor is plated at 80-tonnes

Jason can take two days to bring the XF up to gleaming show finish