Thwaites Limited, commonly known as Thwaites, is a British manufacturer of dumper trucks founded in 1937 and based at Cubbington in Warwickshire. Since 1955 site dumpers have been its only product, a range that grew from small site machines to the eight-tonne Goliath of 1979.
Thwaites dumpers at a glance
| Maker | Thwaites Limited, Cubbington, Warwickshire, England |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1937, by Basil Thwaites |
| First products | agricultural machinery, then brick hoists and other worksite implements |
| Site dumpers since | 1955, the company’s sole product ever since |
| Range before 1979 | up to 4 tonnes |
| Goliath | 1979, 8-tonne capacity |
| Transmission | first power shuttle transmission on a site dumper, 1986 |
| Cabs | cab options offered on three models from 2017 |
| Electric prototype | 3-tonne battery-electric dumper shown at Bauma in 2022 |
| Electric production | 2- and 3-tonne electric dumpers launched in 2024 |
| Factory | the same Cubbington site since the 1930s, last expanded in 2025 |
based on one source: the article uses the English Wikipedia page on the manufacturer, as there are no separate Wikipedia pages for individual Thwaites models.
History of the Thwaites dumpers
From farm machines to site dumpers
Thwaites was founded in 1937 by Basil Thwaites as a maker of agricultural machinery. After the Second World War its designers were set to work on products for the housebuilding boom and the modernisation of construction, and the firm brought a brick hoist and other worksite implements to market.
In 1955 Thwaites stopped building agricultural machines altogether to concentrate on site dumpers. Dumpers have remained the company’s only product since, apart from one unsuccessful attempt to enter the backhoe loader market with the “Alldig” in 1984.
Goliath, transmissions and cabs
In 1979 Thwaites launched the Goliath with an eight-ton capacity. It was a significant step up from the existing range, which topped out at four tons, and it sat between the smaller site dumpers and the larger articulated dump trucks. Seven years later, in 1986, the company introduced the first power shuttle transmission fitted to a site dumper.
In 2017 Thwaites introduced cab options for three of its models to improve operator safety, a move that followed the wider trend of fitting enclosed, roll-protected cabs to machines that had long been open to the weather.
Battery-electric dumpers
Thwaites showed a prototype battery-electric three-tonne dumper at the Bauma trade fair in 2022, and in 2024 it launched 2- and 3-tonne electric dumpers. The manufacturing facility has occupied the same site since the 1930s and was most recently expanded in 2025.
Design and features
- One product line: site dumpers only since 1955, which makes Thwaites one of the few British firms devoted entirely to this class of machine.
- Eight-tonne Goliath: the 1979 model doubled the top of the range and filled the gap below articulated dump trucks.
- Power shuttle transmission: Thwaites was the first to put this transmission on a site dumper, in 1986.
- Safety cabs: cab options for three models arrived in 2017.
- Electrification: a 3-tonne prototype in 2022 was followed by 2- and 3-tonne electric dumpers in 2024.
Thwaites dumpers versions
- Site dumpers (from 1955): the core product, built in a range of sizes that reached four tonnes by the late 1970s.
- Goliath (1979): an eight-tonne dumper, the largest the company had built.
- Alldig (1984): an unsuccessful attempt at a backhoe loader, the one departure from dumpers.
- Cab-equipped models (2017): three models offered with a cab for operator safety.
- Electric dumpers (2024): 2- and 3-tonne battery-electric machines, after the 2022 Bauma prototype.
More British construction and commercial vehicles are in the Thwaites collection.
Video: Thwaites Tusker Digger Dumper
Video by Mark Hopkinson on YouTube.
Sources
- Thwaites Dumpers, English Wikipedia: history, Goliath, transmission, cabs, electric models