FHOSSFIELD: a world first, only on our trucks
Co-designed with FHOSS, it lights a 360° exclusion zone around the truck. AI cameras spot anyone who steps into it, sound a warning and record it, which changes how people behave around the truck.
The ground comes out. Everything else stays.
Operated suction excavator hire, anywhere in the UK, 24 hours a day. Air loosens the ground and suction lifts it into the truck, so the gas mains, cables and tree roots around your dig stay exactly where they are.
- 60-minute dispatch out of hours, guaranteed
- Free site survey by a supervisor, anywhere in the UK
- Primary supplier on Cadent’s gas network framework in three regions
Air in. Ground out. How suction excavation works
A bucket or a spade has to find buried services the hard way. Suction excavation (also called vacuum excavation, or vac-ex) clears the ground around them instead, and leaves what’s buried where it is, in plain sight.
Air breaks it up
The operator loosens the ground with a high-pressure air lance. There’s no blade or bucket edge anywhere near your services, and hard clay gets the MEGAAIR.
Suction lifts it
Powerful fans draw the loose ground up a 250 mm hose and into the truck’s hopper, with stones and debris up to 250 mm across.
Services stay put
Pipes, cables and roots are left exposed and untouched for the repair, connection or inspection. The spoil leaves in the truck, to be tipped or reused.
A truck for every access: Our suction excavator fleet
From 14 to 32 tonnes, no two of our machines are set up the same: different fans, compressors, arms and tipping sides. Tell us about the site and we’ll send the one that suits it, or pick it here.
Show machines for
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32T Tridem
Long reach and big volumes.
Our largest trucks carry a 12 m³ hopper where most suction excavators carry 9 m³, so they tip less often and keep digging. Every one has a MEGAARM.
Ask for the 32T Tridem- Reach
- 5.5 m
- Hopper
- 12 m³
- Lifts
- up to 250 mm
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26T Tridem
The same power on a shorter truck.
Built like the 32T, with a 9 m³ hopper that makes it shorter and easier to place on narrow roads and tight sites.
Ask for the 26T Tridem- Reach
- 4.5 m on most
- Hopper
- 9 m³
- Lifts
- up to 250 mm
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T-REX
The world’s first, built around the operator.
A rear-mounted boom reaches 8 m either side, so the truck parks away from the hazard. A red LED halo marks the exclusion zone, cameras cover every side, and the high tip loads straight into a grab lorry.
Ask for the T-REX- Reach
- 8 m both sides
- Exclusion zone
- red LED halo
- Tips
- into grab lorries
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MEGAAIR
For clay a normal air lance can’t break.
The only one of its kind in Europe. Its compressor delivers up to 10 m³ of air a minute against the usual 4.5 m³, and customers tell us it is around 30% more efficient on site.
Ask for the MEGAAIR- Air
- up to 10 m³/min
- Standard truck
- 4.5 m³/min
- On site
- around 30% more efficient
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DINOCITY
For streets a three-axle truck can’t get down.
7 m long and 3.3 m high on a 3.8 m wheelbase, with twin fans that perform close to a Tridem. It tips from the rear, even straight into one-tonne bags, two at a time.
Ask for the DINOCITY- Size
- 7 m long, 3.3 m high
- Reach
- 4 m either side
- Hopper
- 3.5 m³
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Brokk robots + Triple Fan
Dig 100 m from the road.
Remote-controlled Brokk 120D and 520D robots go where no truck can: along the track, through gardens, inside buildings, or lifted onto a roof or platform. Paired with our Triple Fan truck, they dig more than 100 m away from it.
Ask about the Brokk robots- Distance
- 100 m+ from the truck
- Hoses
- non-conductive 250 mm
- Robots
- three in the fleet
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Tracked Vac
Fields, embankments and lamp columns.
An all-terrain unit on tracks for small excavations where a truck can’t follow: fields, embankments, verges and inner-city sites.
Ask for the Tracked Vac- Drive
- all-terrain tracks
- Best for
- small digs
- Ground
- fields and slopes
On most trucks: left- or right-hand tipping (left-hand tippers can empty without leaving a lane closure), hydrostatic drive, programmable height and slew restrictors, a 250 to 125 mm reducer, and hundreds of metres of extension pipe.
Night, weekend, bank holiday: A truck dispatched within 60 minutes
A burst main won’t wait for Monday. Out of hours, we guarantee a truck is dispatched within 60 minutes of your call, from depots around the UK.
Call 0800 047 8775Planned work? Request a truck for your dates.
Wherever the ground is busy: Utilities, highways, rail and more
The more there is under the ground, the more a bucket can hit. These are the places we dig most.
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Utilities
Utility excavations, trial holes and substation digs on gas, water, power and fibre networks. Primary supplier to Cadent in the North West, the East Midlands and the East of England.
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Highways
Left-hand tippers empty inside the lane closure, which often saves a grab lorry. Day or night, seven days a week.
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Rail
Every rail operative holds a PTS card. Ballast, UTX and URX crossings, level crossings, signal bases and drainage, with Brokk robots at the lineside.
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Construction
Foundations, house footings, slit trenches and pile repairs, without a bucket near the neighbours’ services.
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Airports and industry
Airside work, substations, refineries and chemical plants, where cables are dense and downtime is expensive.
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Trees, rivers and clean-ups
Digging around tree roots without cutting them, river bed clearance, landslide debris, blocked gullies, tunnels, and sand or gravel spills.
Your safety is our priority: Built into every truck
It’s the line on every truck we run. Here’s what it means on site.
Nobody climbs on the T-REX
Its hose clears blockages from the ground, hydrostatic drive moves the truck without the operator climbing in and out of the cab, and height and slew restrictors keep the boom clear of overhead obstructions.
Trained and tested in-house
We train and test operators to CPCS A78 at our own centre, rail operatives hold PTS, and we run Safety Stand Down days where your team can see the kit work up close.
“We like to work with forward-thinkers… The Directors at SEUK have shown the commitment and leadership to futureproof safety.”
Family-run since 2017: Run from March, Cambridgeshire
Kevin and Claire Burke’s business has grown into a national fleet, with depots around the UK including Nottingham, and a new workshop and offices on the way. In 2025 we bought ten new trucks. In 2026 so far: the world’s first T-REX, four Rivards, two Swivel-Arm units and a third Brokk.
- Cadent framework, primary supplier
- North West, East Midlands (the whole network), East of England
- Cadent framework, secondary supplier
- West Midlands, North London
Accreditations and memberships
- Achilles UVDB Silver Plus
- Constructionline Gold
- CHAS Certified
- RISQS
- FORS Silver
- CPCS test centre
- CSCS
- EUSR
- Building Confidence
- Utility Strike Avoidance Group
- Construction Plant-hire Association
CPCS A78 training: At our own test centre
We train and test vacuum excavator operators at our approved CPCS centre, including candidates from other companies. Your trainer and assessor works only in vacuum excavation.
Beginner
Four days of theory and hands-on training, then your test on day five. Registration and card included.
Experienced
Two days of training, then your test on day three. Registration and card included.
NVQs and renewals
Red to blue NVQs, blue card renewals, A78H to A78F transitional tests and health and safety tests, with a discount if you trained with us.
Prices on enquiry, per candidate. Truck hire for the test £500 + VAT. Local accommodation packages, and levy and grants available.
What candidates need to bring
- A CITB health, safety and environment touch screen test passed in the last two years
- Identification from the CITB primary or secondary ID list
- Photo ID, such as a valid passport or driving licence
- The right PPE and equipment
- The right driving licence for the category
Before the truck turns up: Questions site managers ask
Does every truck come with an operator?
Yes. Every machine comes with trained operators, in a one- or two-person team, so there’s nothing for your crew to drive or set up.
How quickly can you get a truck to site?
For an emergency out of hours, a truck is dispatched within 60 minutes of your call, guaranteed. For planned work, send your postcode and dates and we’ll confirm what’s available. With depots around the UK, one is rarely far away.
What can a suction excavator dig?
Soil, clay, sand, gravel, ballast and debris, including stones and foreign objects up to 250 mm across (200 mm on the DINOCITY). Hard clay that defeats a normal air lance is what the MEGAAIR is for.
How far from the truck can you dig?
Our arms reach 4 to 8 m from the truck, depending on the machine. Extension pipes add hundreds of metres for depth or distance, and a Brokk robot paired with our Triple Fan truck digs more than 100 m away.
What happens to the spoil?
It goes into the truck’s hopper (up to 12 m³) and is tipped or reused, depending on the job. Left-hand tippers can empty without leaving a lane closure, the T-REX high-tips straight into a grab lorry, and the DINOCITY fills one-tonne bags.
Can you work on the railway?
Yes. All our rail operatives hold PTS cards. We remove and relay ballast with our rake nozzle, and handle UTX and URX works, level crossings, signal foundations, drainage and catchment pits, and tunnel cleaning.
Will you look at the site first?
Yes, free, anywhere in the UK. One of our supervisors checks the access and the ground and recommends the machine and the method before you book.
How much does suction excavator hire cost?
It depends on the machine, the length of the job and the travel. Send your postcode, dates and the type of work, and we’ll come back with a price.
Request a truck: Where, when and what
Tell us about the job and we’ll come back with the right machine, availability and a price. For an emergency, call: a form can’t dispatch a truck.
- 0800 047 877524 hours a day
- 01354 658888Office and training
- hires@suctionexcavationuk.co.ukHire enquiries
- Unit 1, Corner Lodge Industrial Estate, Knight’s End Road, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 0YJHead office
Meet the team at Highways UK, NEC Birmingham, 14 and 15 October 2026, stand F10.