Joe’s stunning new Scania 660 grabbing attention 

11/12/2025

As well as providing customers with exceptional services, AJ Grab Hire is renowned island-wide for running a fantastic fleet. True to form, Joe Nugent’s newest 251 Scania is a thing of real beauty and it was no surprise that the Monaghan man’s pride and joy marked its Full of the Pipe debut in style! 

AJ Grab Hire’s magnificent new Scania S660 V8 made quite an impression at this year’s edition of Full of the Pipe in Mondello Park. Nothing was left to chance on the finish of this wonderful workhorse and it never fails to turn heads on the road, onsite or indeed at truck shows! 

Joe Nugent – the ‘J’ in AJ Grab Hire – was delighted to come away from FOTP 2025 with a trophy, as the latest arrival in the fleet returned home to Castleblayney triumphantly, having taken third place in the Best Irish Custom truck category. Indeed, everything about this year’s show in Mondello Park was memorable: 

“It was a great weekend,” says Joe. “It’s a great spot and they got a very good show this year. There was some weather for it – I never seen the likes of it in my life. When you get weather like that for a show, it makes a big difference. It couldn’t have gone any better and getting an award for the new truck was the icing on the cake.” 

AJ Grab Hire’s 251 Scania 660 was purchased from nearby McElvaney Motors, Ireland’s premier Scania dealership, with whom they enjoy a longstanding relationship. Decked out tastefully in the company’s familiar livery – the white and blue of Monaghan -  the lorry was customised by Peter Hastings and the team at P2 Truckstyle, painted by Mark and Brendan Tierney at Tierney Motors Emyvale, with immeasurable input also from Davy McKeown at DMCK Auto Electrics and Barry McMahon at Bits and Bobs Truck Accessories. 

“I’d like to thank everybody for all the work they did on it. A lot of work went into it and they all did an amazing job. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out,” says Joe. The new Scania has already made a big impression at Waterford Truck Show and Full of the Pipe – remarkable considering how hard the trucks in the AJ Grab Hire fleet work on daily basis! 

“It was nice to get something for it at Full of the Pipe after all the work that went into getting it ready,” Joe continues. “We do our best to keep then fresh, which isn’t easy in the line of work we’re in. In our game, it’s not easy to keep them looking good. We’re in a lot of quarries and on construction sites and the work can be hard on them. 

“But we do like to keep them all looking fresh and clean. Every one of the trucks is washed at least every weekend and I wash the new one myself every evening. If you don’t keep on top of it, things are going to get out of control very fast.” 

AJ Grab Hire Ltd. is an industry-leading family-run business that has been providing nationwide grab hire services to remove muck, topsoil, demolition material, construction waste and sand & gravel from both commercial and private sites since 2006. 

With coming up on two decades of experience in utility works, site clearance, demolition and general haulage, AJ Grab Hire prides itself on being Ireland’s No. 1 grab hire company. Founder and managing director Barry Nugent is joined in the business by his wife Siobhan, son Joe and an extended skilled and experienced 50-strong team of drivers, machinery operators and administrative personnel. 

The Nugents are exceptionally busy and there’s never a dull moment, which is why an event like Full of the Pipe is so welcome: “I was in a quarry with the truck on the Friday before and let’s just say it was a late night getting it ready,” Joe reflects. “It was Saturday morning before I got anywhere near Mondello. 

“Two of the other lads went to the show with me. As well as the 251 Scania, we had the bullnose with us – it’s an 02 and we’ve had it for five or six years now. 

“I’m delighted with the new lorry. It’s serious to drive. The last one I got new myself was in 2022 and this time I opted for a smaller cab, which is a better job on small roads with low trees, etc., It’s easier to mind it.” 

Due to a rigorous replenishment programme, the fleet is both fresh and immaculately turned out, with new models added virtually every year. As AJ Grab Hire head towards their 20th anniversary, they are busier than ever: 

“We’re running a fleet of around 45 at the minute. We’re very lucky in that we’ve had a lot of the staff here for a long time and you can’ beat that loyalty and experience, especially today when good staff are so hard to find. Of course, you are always looking for new people, but a lot of the team have been here for a long time and you’d be lost without them. 

“You can’t do everything yourself and you need a good team around you. Still, there’s always something to do when you get home to the yard but you just have to get on with it and make sure everything is right so that customers are consistently getting the service levels they expect. In fairness, with Dad and Glen in the office also doing long hours, there’s plenty of help there. 

“This year has flown by and that’s a sign of how busy we are. We’ve very busy, so we can’t complain. In this game, you get used to working hard and that’s why a weekend like Full of the Pipe is so welcome, because you get a chance to take a step back from it all and relax.” 

As such occasions are few and far between, it’s important to make the most of them. For the rest of the year, it’s all go for AJ Grab Hire and their sensational fleet! 

AJ Grab Hire, 

Cornassonagh, 

Shantonagh, 

Castleblayney, 

County Monaghan. 

Tel: 042 9745734 

Mobile: 087 3914585 

Email: [email protected] 

Web: www.ajgrabhire.ie 

First published in Irish Trucker magazine November/December 2025, Vol 28-6