Anything but ordinary
John Bowler runs his transport company, which he also drives for, according to the principle of “there’s no such thing as impossible”. This year, the businessman has also been behind the wheel of a new MAN TGX 41.640 8×4, which he thinks very highly of.
Haulage services, crane hire, machine dismantlement and installation, lifting processes and complete project management throughout all of the UK and Europe. Describing his company’s work, John Bowler, director of T.W.Bowler Ltd., says that “no two days are the same in our line of business.” No matter whether the company is transporting a 100-tonne digger or a 40-metre-long motorway bridge superstructure, huge bulky pipes and tanks for the oil industry or wind turbines and agricultural machinery.
“Every day is different, really complex yet exciting and worthwhile.”
The varied everyday work also means that John and his drivers have to be highly flexible. John describes potential scenarios which could arise during transport jobs: “It can be difficult to transport a massive multi-axle tractor unit with trailer to a construction site and then away again. We often drive in and through built-up areas and city centres to access construction sites. This can lead a whole host of challenges, such as removing and replacing street furniture, collaborating with the police and seeking their assistance with closing roads and sometimes also driving in the wrong direction on the wrong side of the road to free up the space we need.”
“As part of the planning and full project management service that we offer, we work with the relevant authorities for each individual part of the route and obtain their consent. This ensures that we have the approval to close a junction controlled by traffic lights or a roundabout to gain the space we need for our work. Protecting the environment is another important issue for us and, although we transport abnormal and heavy loads, we make sure that we leave no trace,” continues the businessman.
And it goes without saying that safety also has a crucial role to play. This doesn’t just concern the safety of the company’s own personnel and employees of businesses working in collaboration with T.W. Bowler Ltd., but also the safety of other road users, such as pedestrians or cyclists.
Is this your dream job?
For John Bowler, the answer is a resounding: Yes!
T.W. Bowler was established by his grandfather Thomas William Bowler in 1950. In 1989, his father (Nick Bowler) took over management of the company together with his mother (Lyndsey Bowler). “This means that I’m the third generation of the family and I joined the company in 2011,” explains John. The business currently employs 30 members of staff and he has a great team. “My father always had a ‘can-do’ attitude, which is crucial in this industry. This must have rubbed off on me, as we always find a solution for difficult and challenging tasks,” believes John.
A fleet that inspires trust
The impressive team also includes a fleet of vehicles that everyone can rely on. The company counts four MAN trucks among the 20 vehicles it owns. One of these is a new addition, a MAN TGX 41.640 8×4, which was acquired by the company in March of this year. According to John, who rated his MAN TGX built in 2019 very highly, the new lion can’t be faulted in any way – he thinks everything about it is good. Starting with the power: “The D38 15-litre engine with 640 HP is an absolute dream,” raves John. “It offers just the right mix of power and performance, both on-road and off-road. We work with a permissible total weight of up to 250 tonnes.” In this weight class, you need a tractor unit you can count on. John’s favourite features also include the automated torque converter and the clutch, which he describes as outstanding and very well balanced. And John thinks that his MAN offers advantages in this regard too: “It’s clear to see that MAN has put a lot of work into improving the layout of the cab. It offers an excellent environment for both daytime and night-time work.”
A winning team and a reliable fleet – it sounds like John’s “can-do” attitude isn’t going to change any time soon.
