Summer 2026 has been a busy season for the Eclipse team. We’ve spent time on the road meeting operators, technicians and fleet managers face to face at two of the UK’s biggest industry events: Hillhead and Road Transport Expo (RTX).
Both shows gave us a chance to demonstrate the latest Jaltest diagnostic technology, hear directly from workshops about the challenges they’re facing, and get a read on where the industry is heading next.
Here’s a look back at both events, what we showed, and the trends we’re now seeing across quarrying, construction and road transport.
Hillhead 2026
What Hillhead is
Hillhead is the UK’s largest quarrying, construction and recycling equipment show, held every two years at Hillhead Quarry near Buxton in Derbyshire. The 2026 edition was the biggest yet, with a record 627 exhibitors and more than 25,800 visits across the three days. Unlike a conventional exhibition hall, Hillhead takes place in a working quarry, with live demonstration areas where visitors can watch plant and machinery in action.
Why it matters to quarrying, construction and heavy equipment industries
For anyone working with off highway machinery, quarrying plant or construction equipment, Hillhead is the one event where the whole supply chain turns up in one place. Manufacturers, dealers, workshop operators and fleet managers all attend, making it a genuine barometer for where the sector is heading, from new equipment launches to shifts in maintenance practice.
The technology and products we demonstrated
We used Hillhead to showcase Jaltest’s Off-Highway diagnostics package, covering diagnostics across cranes, excavators, dumpers and other construction and quarrying machinery. We also gave hands on demonstrations of ADAS calibration equipment, which is becoming increasingly relevant as more heavy machinery is fitted with driver assistance and safety systems.
Common conversations with visitors
Most conversations at the stand centred on multi-brand coverage. Workshops and plant hire businesses working across mixed fleets of equipment from different manufacturers were keen to understand how a single diagnostic platform could replace several brand specific tools. There was also strong interest in how quickly software updates roll out to cover new machinery as it enters the market.
Industry trends noticed during the show
A few themes came through clearly on the quarry face. Operators are under pressure to keep expensive plant working rather than sat idle, and diagnostics is increasingly seen as a way to catch problems early rather than react to breakdowns. We also noticed growing curiosity about telematics and how diagnostic data can feed into wider fleet management systems.
Challenges customers are trying to solve
The recurring challenge was downtime. With plant hire and quarrying schedules tightly booked, an unexpected fault can have a knock on effect across a whole project. Technicians also raised the difficulty of keeping up with the sheer variety of brands and models found on a typical site, which is exactly the problem multi-brand diagnostics is designed to solve.
Road Transport Expo (RTX) 2026
Overview of the event
Road Transport Expo is the UK’s flagship summer event for road haulage and logistics, held at NAEC Stoneleigh in Warwickshire. Now in its fifth year, RTX 2026 welcomed over 13,000 visitors and more than 340 exhibitors across three days, covering trucks, trailers, workshop equipment and fleet technology.
Why it matters to the road transport industry
RTX brings together fleet operators, workshop managers and technicians from across the haulage sector, alongside vehicle and equipment manufacturers. It’s a practical, hands-on show, with ride and drive sessions and a Knowledge Zone conference covering topics like fleet compliance and vehicle technology, making it a useful barometer of what’s actually affecting workshops day to day.
Key products demonstrated
At RTX we focused on Jaltest CV, our commercial vehicle diagnostics package covering trucks, trailers, buses and light commercial vehicles across more than 200 brands. We also demonstrated our ADAS calibration equipment, along with the Testpad workshop tablet and Workstation setup, showing fleets and workshops how a complete diagnostic bay can be built around Jaltest.
Topics customers asked about
Fleet and workshop visitors asked a lot about software update frequency and whether training is included with a diagnostic package. There was also plenty of interest in trailer diagnostics, particularly ABS and EBS systems across brands such as Knorr-Bremse, Haldex and Wabco.
Industry trends
Technician shortages came up repeatedly. Workshops are looking for diagnostic tools that are intuitive enough for less experienced staff to use confidently, rather than requiring years of brand specific knowledge. Connected diagnostics and telematics were another recurring topic, as fleets look to combine vehicle health data with broader fleet management platforms.
Takeaways from conversations with fleets and workshops
The overall message from fleets and workshops was consistent: efficiency is under pressure, and every hour a vehicle spends off the road has a real cost. Operators are actively looking for ways to diagnose faults faster and get vehicles back into service with less guesswork.
Biggest trends from both shows
Across both Hillhead and RTX, a handful of themes stood out consistently:
- Increasing demand for multi-brand diagnostics as workshops manage mixed fleets across different manufacturers
- Workshops looking to reduce downtime, with diagnostics seen as a preventative tool rather than just a repair aid
- Growing use of ADAS calibration, as more vehicles and machinery are fitted with driver assistance systems
- Connected diagnostics and telematics, with operators wanting vehicle health data linked into wider fleet platforms
- Technician shortages driving demand for easier diagnostics, favouring tools that don’t require years of specialist experience
- Pressure on fleets to improve efficiency, with every hour of downtime carrying a direct cost
FAQs
Which vehicles does Jaltest support?
Jaltest covers a wide range of vehicle types and sectors, including commercial vehicles, trailers, coaches and buses, off-highway and construction machinery, agricultural vehicles, material handling equipment, marine vessels, and cars and light commercial vehicles.
Can it diagnose mixed fleets?
Yes. Jaltest is a multi-brand platform, which means a single tool can diagnose vehicles and equipment from a wide range of manufacturers, rather than needing separate brand specific tools for each one. This was one of the most common questions we heard at both Hillhead and RTX, reflecting how many workshops now manage genuinely mixed fleets.
How often is the software updated?
Jaltest software is updated regularly to expand vehicle coverage and add new features and diagnostic functions, with each release detailed as it becomes available.
Is training included?
Training options are available alongside our diagnostic packages, ranging from on-site and remote sessions to classroom based courses, helping technicians of all experience levels get the most out of their equipment. You can find out more on our training page.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand at Hillhead and RTX this year. If you’d like to see the technology we demonstrated for yourself, get in touch with the Eclipse team.
