Subscribe

Tag: trailers

Carrier delivers trailers to Dale Brothers

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Telford-based transportation company, Dale Brothers UK, has taken delivery of six new refrigerated trailers, each mounted with the company’s first Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19 MT (high efficiency multi-temperature) units, a move designed to help reduce running costs and improve fleet efficiency. Carrier Transicold is a leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.

A Carrier Transicold customer since 2000, Dale Brothers UK’s six new 13.6m Chereau trailers replace older assets. Eight more identical trailers are expected for delivery in 2022.

“We first started using Carrier equipment more than 20 years ago when we bought some second-hand trailers mounted with their systems,” said Neyland Dale, Managing Director, Dale Brothers UK. “We were so impressed with the performance and reliability, when it came to replacing those trailers, specifying new Carrier units was the only logical next step – and we’ve been doing that each time we’ve updated our fleet since.”

Combining Carrier Transicold E-Drive all-electric technology with a new multi-speed engine design, the Vector HE 19 unit delivers up to 30% fuel savings when compared to the previous generation Vector 1950. In addition, the system’s fully hermetic scroll compressor and economiser provides a 40% increase in refrigeration capacity during pull-down, as well as a 50% reduction in refrigerant escape.

Carrier Transicold says the system is also 19% more efficient when plugged into the electrical grid on standby, meaning that the Vector HE 19 unit can help to lower diesel, maintenance and electricity costs. In addition, the units operate 3 dB(A) quieter than the legacy Vector 1950, significantly reducing sound pollution.

“We specifically chose the new Vector HE 19 unit after hearing good things from our fellow logistics customers about how efficient they are,” said Dale. “With increased cooling capacity and better fuel efficiency, we will reduce our running costs while simultaneously reducing our carbon footprint.”

Dale Brothers UK has also opted for Carrier Transicold’s advanced telematics package. The system’s two-way wireless communication helps fleets manage their refrigerated assets through remote unit monitoring and control, alongside diagnostics and data management. The system allows Dale Brothers to demonstrate its effective management of the cold chain to its customers, helping to provide additional levels of customer service.

Expected to operate for eight to 10 years, the new trailers will transport a variety of fresh and frozen food products for customers across the UK and northern Europe. Operating six to seven days a week, they typically clock up around 130,000km per year from the company’s main depot in Telford.

Tiger Trailers recruiting for Cheshire facility

Posted on by David Priestman

Trailer and commercial vehicle body manufacturer Tiger Trailers is recruiting 50 new employees to start work at its state-of-the-art facility in Winsford, Cheshire (UK).

The employment drive supports a surge in demand for trailers and HGVs due to the increase in home deliveries and online shopping.

The 168,000 sq ft site – which opened in April 2019 – already employs 213 people and is located on the Winsford Industrial Estate.

Various jobs are on offer including forklift truck drivers, semi-skilled operatives, hydraulic fitters, auto electricians, coachbuilders and welders. Pay rates range from £11.36 to £18.85 per hour depending on position, experience, and shifts.

Edward Booth, finance director at Tiger Trailers, said: “We are seeing record amounts of orders because consumer buying habits have shifted so drastically due to Covid-19. The jobs we’ve created will enable us to exceed this demand and at the same time, provide an economic boost for Winsford by providing locals with new opportunities on their doorstep.”

New employees will enjoy benefits including pay increases after 12 weeks, overtime, bonus scheme, a free birthday breakfast, early finish on Fridays, onsite canteen, free car park and opportunities for career progression.

Tiger Trailers is easily accessible by car, bus and train, and the company is looking to provide a private bus service to help new and existing employees travel to work should they need it.

Edward continued: “It’s a really exciting time to join the Tiger Trailers family because we’ve got huge growth plans which involve enhancing our CSR activities and transforming our internal communications. We’ve launched an employee appreciation wall to showcase everyone’s hard work, and partnered with non-profit organisations like Veterans into Logistics to help place ex-military personnel into truck driving roles.”

Tiger Trailers manufacturers between 1,500 and 2,000 trailers per year and hopes to create even more jobs at its Winsford site in early 2022.

Interested applicants can apply for jobs at Tiger Trailer’s Winsford site by emailing crewe@gap-personnel.com, calling +44 (0)1270 581888 or visiting www.gap-personnel.com/clients/tiger-trailers.

Thermo King Advancer wins PMI award

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Thermo King, a leader in transport temperature control solutions, has been awarded the global Project Excellence Award from the Project Management Institute (PMI) for launching Advancer – a disruptive re-imagining of the trailer refrigeration unit.

“We are pleased to see the Advancer project recognised for its excellence,” said Francesco Incalza, president of Thermo King Europe, Middle East and Africa. “At Thermo King, our team continues to bring solutions to market that give customers a new standard in transport refrigeration with breakthrough efficiency, quality, and reliability. We’re pushing innovation to its very limit so that customers can take their operations to the next level – and beyond, whilst reducing their own environmental footprint.

“The Advancer project is a great example of our efficient project management capabilities and our commitment to creating a positive impact for society. This is something we strive to achieve in all our projects. This award complements our earlier industry recognition received for Advancer highlighting the best-in-class manufacturing production and engineering processes including an award for Advancer’s Carbon Neutral Manufacturing, and Engineering Endeavour.”

The Advancer units are manufactured in Thermo King’s zero-waste to landfill plant in Galway, Ireland. The newly designed, state-of-the-art production line uses 60% less energy than the production process of previous Thermo King trailer products.

The award recognises the Advancer project team for delivering superior performance of project management practices, superior organisational results, and positive impacts on society. Advancer offers an all-new design architecture that creates a bold new standard for performance, temperature control, fleet connectivity, superior load protection, and unmatched fuel efficiency. Combined, these capabilities deliver greater operational flexibility, while helping customers achieve significant improvements in fleet uptime and total cost of ownership.

On-the-road and in-use, Advancer results in a 30% reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared to previous units – contributing significantly to the Trane Technologies’ Gigaton Challenge and  2030 sustainability aspirations. The commitment aims to reduce customers’ carbon emissions by one gigaton – equivalent to the annual emissions of Italy, France and the United Kingdom combined.

Since 1974, the prestigious PMI Professional Awards have honoured organisations and their teams whose passion, talent, and expertise have made the greatest contributions to the project management profession or to PMI. The 2021 PMI Professional Awards were announced during PMI’s virtual experience ceremony on 7th October.

Thermo King is a brand of Trane Technologies.

 

Mooij introduces double-floor containers

Posted on by David Priestman

Mooij Forwarding & Logistics has taken 18 containers with a double-deck loading system into use, to start intermodal large-volume transport on European corridors.

This unique form of transport means maximum cost savings plus benefits for the environment. The containers can be swapped easily to other transport modes (road, water, rail); in this way, large-volume transport is entering intermodal transport.

“After the corona crisis, we are confronted with the environmental crisis,” says director Nico Mooij. “The roads are getting full again and most HGVs are still running on diesel. We need to make a modal shift as quickly as possible: more transport by train and by ship. We can do this with these containers, combined with a perfect organisation of pre- and post-transport, and real-time tracking.”

Mooij Forwarding & Logistics maintains daily services between various destinations in Eastern and Western Europe. Large-volume trailers with a double-loading floor have been used for this for some time. To supplement this, Mooij developed a double loading concept for sea containers. Mooij now also offers its double deck transports multimodal (road/rail/inland shipping/shortsea/ferry).

The 45ft containers in the high-cube version have an internal height of 298cm. Vertical profiles have been fitted to the inner walls with which loading beams can be hooked in horizontally at any desired height. This doubles the capacity of the container from 33 to 66 euro pallets (or from 27 to 54 block pallets).

The containers are transported by road on special low container chassis that are used at loading point and destination. The containers can be transferred to a different transport mode at any multimodal terminal.

Mooij says: “We offer transport to almost any destination, with potential savings of 25% to 35% compared to other providers.” He expects to increase the number of double-deck containers in the future, as well as the number of destinations.

 

Schmitz Cargobull breaks ground in Spain

Posted on by David Priestman

Schmitz Cargobull Ibérica has held the official groundbreaking ceremony for its new plant in Figueruelas (Spain). The company is investing around €19m in the construction of its new production facility, which is scheduled to go into operation in August 2022, with more than 280 employees and a production capacity of 60 vehicles per day.

The new plant, which is being built just 3km away from the existing factory, covers a total area of 104,000 sq m: 16,400 sq m will be used for production and logistics, 2,000 sq m for offices on three floors, plus a depot housing new and used vehicles.

“I’m very proud of Schmitz Cargobull’s development in Spain,” said Andreas Schmitz, Chairman of the Board of Schmitz Cargobull AG, at the groiundbreaking event on 15th September 20201. “When we started this project in 2002, our production forecast was five semi-trailers per day. Today, we are producing 20 vehicles a day and our aim is to increase production capacity to 22 units a day by the end of 2021. With the new production plant and our own new foaming line for the production of refrigerated trailers, we’ll be able to produce up to 60 vehicles a day.”

As at the existing factory, all products from the product lines S.CS curtainsiders, S.KO refrigerated semi-trailers, M.KO truck box bodies and S.BO steel boxes for the Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and African markets will be manufactured at the new plant.

In the last five years Schmitz Cargobull Ibérica has doubled both sales and the number of units produced compared to the previous five years, achieving sales of €130m with around 4,000 units per year.

“Thanks to this increase in demand, our headcount has grown by more than 60% on average. We are now working tirelessly to commission the new facility, which could even enable us to triple the volume,” explains Jordi Romero, Managing Director of Schmitz Cargobull Ibérica.

Also present at the groundbreaking ceremony was Carlos Javier Navarro, General Director for Industry (Government of Aragon), who also supported the founding of Schmitz Cargobull Ibérica in 2002. He explained that the Aragon region values family entrepreneurs like Andreas Schmitz, who are able to build a project from scratch, make it grow and consolidate it. Decisions such as the construction of the new Schmitz Cargobull plant confirm that the region is also of interest internationally for companies seeking to establish industrial locations.

Tiger supplies DPD with 250 trailers

Posted on by David Priestman

Leading express parcel delivery specialist DPD is introducing 250 Tiger trailers to its UK logistics fleet during 2021, with the orders from the Cheshire manufacturer split into two product types, one of which has impressive green credentials.

Delivered in several batches respectively, Tiger Trailers is amidst manufacturing 100 tandem axle single-deck box van trailers, alongside 150 moving deck double-deck trailers which have been designed to deliver enhanced durability and environmental efficiency.

Darren Wilson, Associate Director – Linehaul & Transport, DPD UK, commented: “DPD’s sustainability strategy is based on examining every aspect of our operation to make it more efficient and better for the environment. We thrive on innovation and that’s exactly what Tiger is doing in the trailer space.

“We’ve ordered over 250 trailers from them to support our growth, all of which will be manufactured in the UK using the latest technology and greenest components. In fact, the material being used on the double-deck trailer panels is constructed in such a way as to be totally recyclable. We love working with suppliers who share the same values and goals and Tiger is certainly one such supplier.”

DPD’s Tiger-built double-deck ‘wedge’ trailers incorporate a Hatcher Aero at the front and feature sidewalls made from Tata Steel’s thin, lightweight yet strong 10mm Coretinium composite sheet material solution, which is efficient at all stages of its product life cycle, from minimising raw materials in its creation, to saving weight and maximising payload space to help reduce fuel and CO2 emissions.

“Up to 85% of the material, produced at our Shotton Works in Flintshire, can be recycled without separating the skins from the core,” explains Edwin Richards, Technical Sales Manager Coretinium, Tata Steel, who adds: “The honeycomb product enables us to create material-efficient solutions. Having teamed up with Tiger Trailers on double decks in 2019, it’s great to now be involved in the supply to a company like DPD who place such strong value on the whole life impact of their trailers.”

A number of Tiger’s moving deck double-deck trailers for DPD incorporate the manufacturer’s latest digital touchpad control panel that replaces a traditional wanderlead setup, and the deck is operated by the OEM’s proven 4-ram hydraulic system that maximises the space available inside the vehicle, whilst also requiring reduced maintenance over the life of the trailer. The double-deck trailers also feature galvanised chassis and stainless steel rear frames.

Meanwhile, the single-deck box van trailers have been equipped with various high-impact protection features and nose guarding to mitigate potential damage during coupling. The vehicles’ Goodyear KMAX D Fuel Grip tyres are specifically designed to provide robustness in regional and urban environments, backed by slow wear and ensuing high mileage capability, while the non-slip phenolic coated plywood floor is made from environmentally friendly material sourced from sustainable and 100% traceable forests in Finland.

Stephen Pollock, Tiger Trailers’ Business Development Director, comments: “We’re proud to be working closely with DPD in manufacturing these two different products for their fleet. Online retail and delivery have proliferated even more quickly in recent months, so we are very pleased to be able to support DPD in getting parcels delivered safely and on time as the company strives to offer its customers increasingly wider choice. We echo DPD’s sentiments over sharing passions for innovation, technology and environmental sustainability, and look forward to supporting DPD and its green trailers.”

Tiger Trailers is one of the UK’s leading semi-trailer and rigid truck bodywork manufacturers and has, over the last two years, introduced Tiger Finance and Tiger Rentals divisions to its fast-growing operations, along with the Siberian range of temperature-controlled products, and Tiger Parts, stocking OEM components in parallel with other brands and specialist components.

Major deal sees MV Commercial acquire Fruehauf

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Specialist truck provider MV Commercial has completed a multi-million-pound deal to buy tipping trailer and rigid body manufacturer Fruehauf out of administration – protecting 120 jobs and securing a positive future for one of the best-known brands in the industry.

The landmark deal includes an immediate cash injection and a commitment to a further £30m investment over the next three years, as part of ambitious plans to modernise the manufacturing facility and realise the full potential of the 67-acre site in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

MV Commercial will also revive the legendary ‘Crane Fruehauf’ name, by which the business was known until around 1998. The rebranding is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

Tom O’Rourke (pictured), CEO of MV Commercial, says: “This is a hugely significant day for both businesses; and an opportunity we couldn’t turn down. Fruehauf has a fantastic product range, a rich heritage, and a wealth of talent within its team which will be complemented by MV Commercial’s strength and experience in the marketplace.

“With immediate effect we are starting work to scale production back up, enabling us to commit to a delivery schedule for outstanding customer orders and begin building new stock trailers for MV’s own contract hire and ready-to-go fleets.”

MV Commercial is best known for its one-stop-shop approach and plans to open a truck sales and rental facility on site in Grantham within the next month. Work will begin within days to refurbish and modernise much of the site.

Steven Cairns, Managing Director of MV Commercial, says: “Geographically, Grantham is the perfect fit for us to develop a true ‘super site’. We should have 80-90 trucks and trailers available for sale on site within a month, and the manufacturing workforce back in the factory building at pace again.

“We are so excited for the potential this acquisition brings and committed to ensuring there is a lot more Fruehauf product available in the marketplace. For long-time Fruehauf customers, we are confident this is very good news.”

Production capacity within the factory is expected to quickly reach 15-20 trailers per week under MV’s stewardship, with the future investment to focus on greater automation and achieving world-class production standards.

MV Commercial has committed to continue offering the full Fruehauf trailer and body range, and 100% of the current workforce will transfer under TUPE.

Commenting on the planned rebranding, O’Rourke adds: “MV Commercial is best known for building the biggest and most capable crane trucks in the market. Cranes are a huge part of what we do, so we certainly weren’t going to turn down the opportunity to put the ‘Crane’ back into ‘Crane Fruehauf’!”

MV Commercial employs 190 staff spread across five sites and has a strong track record for delivering business growth both organically and through acquisition. It has previously acquired the assets of two major rental businesses – Regal Truck Rental and TLS – plus in 2015 it acquired bodybuilder JWR Recovery Trucks.

In November 2020 MV Commercial was named as one of the London Stock Exchange Group’s ‘1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain’.

Biodegradable wheel nut indicators launched

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Haulage wheel safety solution company Checkpoint has pioneered product innovation in its range of internationally renowned wheel nut indicators by making them fully biodegradable and therefore better for the planet.

Striving to achieve environmental sustainability across multiple vehicular industries, Checkpoint spent two short years, in a laboratory, testing and re-testing components that would make the company’s product range completely biodegradable, whilst maintaining the quality of manufacturing that is synonymous with Checkpoint.

Selling 17 million products per year to over 65 countries globally, the company estimates that by the end of 2021 all of its products produced will be the newly innovated version called Bio-Checkpoint.

The now biodegradable wheel nut indicators remain at the forefront of the market for premium quality, and continue to be available in any colour, personalised to match each individual customer’s signage and livery.

Commenting on the company’s sustainable invention, CEO Mike Marczynski said: “30 years ago, we were pioneers of the world’s first loose nut indicators, and now we are continuing to lead the vehicular industry sectors by re-launching our already recyclable Checkpoint products as biodegradable – this is a landmark moment for us, our clients and the industry.

“We have always had visual safety and preventative maintenance at the core of our business, and for some time now, we have wanted to do better for the environment and today marks our commitment to do that globally.”

Checkpoint has absorbed the total cost of this investment within the business. Marczynski continues: “With 200 tonnes of plastic sold each year alone by Checkpoint, we couldn’t sit back and watch, we had to do something about it. It’s on us as a business and we won’t be passing this cost onto our customers in any way.”

The Bio-Checkpoint’s key benefits include:

  • An instant visual indicator of wheel-nut movement
  • Indicates possible faults with brakes or bearings through melting or distorting
  • Supports fleet safety checks
  • Cost effective and easy to implement
  • Fully recyclable
  • Now fully biodegradable

Checkpoint was the first-ever product of its kind on the global market to provide an indication of wheel nut movement on commercial vehicles. This clever solution helps to ensure that every truck driver and fleet operator can carry out quick and easy visual checks and audits on their vehicle wheels. Its application has since been introduced to a wide range of sectors in order to provide a solution to loose nuts on plant structures, rail tracks etc.

The Checkpoint visually indicates nut movement. By placing the Checkpoints in a recognisable pattern such as point to point, any movement of the nut is clearly visible at a glance. This assists the visual inspection of wheel nuts, identifying when a nut loosens, to prevent the wheel from coming off. It also melts at a specific temperature to highlight any overheating issues with the wheel or equipment.

“Most secure trailer ever” developed

Posted on by Keith McKinley

ZF, Sioen Industries and Securitas have joined forces with printed side curtains manufacturer Roland International jointly developed the Intrudor Detection system to reduce the growing problem of cargo theft from trailers.

The smart, multi-layered tarpaulin with embedded conductivity can be applied to doors, sides, and roofs for 360-degree trailer security and is compatible with reefers, plywood boxes, containers and curtainsider trailers. Its stand-alone design makes it suitable to apply to both new and existing trailers.

Cargo theft is increasing systematically. A report from BSI Supply Chain Services and Solutions shows that 86% of all cargo theft in Europe involves goods being stolen from trucks. Such thefts not only impact customer deliveries, but also have a detrimental effect on fleet owners – from damaged trailers and trucks to downtime and higher insurance fees.

In keeping with the mission of Roland ‘to improve how the world moves cargo’, they have developed a smart and innovative Trailer 360-degree Trailer Security solution for reefers, plywood boxes, containers and curtainsider trailers. ZF controls the technology via the advanced Transics branded fleet management solution TX-Trailerguard. This solution can be combined with another leading technology from ZF that provides optimum security – the Wabco OptiLock ELB-Lock. This wireless electric door locking system that remotely monitors and operates trailer doors features various real-time sensors and alarms.

Sean Spelman, Head of Product & Technology at Cargo Control Company, says: “By combining our leading side curtain technology with the product knowledge of Sioen, the digital advanced solutions from ZF and 24/7 support by Securitas, we are able to deliver an unique solution for trailer security. Even more, it addresses one of the biggest challenges in the transport sector.

“We’re proud to be recognised by other key players in the market for our innovative side curtain solutions and outstanding durability under all conditions.”

Frederik Vroman, Sioen Sales and Business Development Manager, adds: “I am delighted that we work together with our partners to develop this innovative solution to help fleet owners increase the security of their cargo.

“Sioen has been working on securing trailers from cargo theft for more than 15 years. This is a milestone for us.”

Tesdted solution for H. Essers & Wallenborn

The Intrudor Detection system is a fully operational solution that has been tested by leading transport companies such as H. Essers, Wallenborn and Soncotra.

H. Essers has been investing heavily in high security solutions for years, with more than 1,000 special security units to date. Christopher van den Daele, Business Unit Manager H. Essers, explains its approach to cargo security: “In terms of security, there are actually three issues to consider. First and foremost, there’s the choice of hardware. We’ve got to ensure that we have the right hardware to detect an issue the instant it happens.

“Secondly, there’s software. Once you start scanning for those issues in the fleet, e.g., the positions, door sensors and more. We have to be able to present that data to the end user in a user-friendly format.

“Thirdly, we have to address the problem detection processes and determine how to deal with the problem itself. To that end, we provide customers with a control tower that monitors the cargo 24/7 and access, where needed, to a European incident response intervention network.”

The global company Wallenborn is also a specialist in providing intermodal transport solutions and integrated supply chain logistics. It aims to offer accessible, fully secure solutions for its trucks and trailers. Donald Schaap, Operations Manager Wallenborn, explains: “Together with our partner ZF, we are always trying to stay a step ahead of crime. It’s not just about the hardware. Software, training, and any interventions are also a part of that picture.”

The solution is delivered in the form of a plug & play kit with mounting instructions.

Roland and Ewals develop next-generation side curtains

Posted on by Keith McKinley

One of Europe’s leading manufacturers of printed side curtains, Roland International, has further improved its intermodal solution XLS for cargo that tends to bulge. Ewals Cargo Care, one of Europe’s largest intermodal transport companies, has adapted the XLS solution combined with InfiniShield graphics as standard for its entire fleet.

Roland and Ewals invented the XLS system in partnership. This advanced patented solution has all features of a conventional side curtain and in addition, the unique Mega Huckepack XLS is a structurally stronger and safer trailer to transport cargo such as tyres, bulk bags and other loose products.

The current XL certified trailer (EN 12642 XL) does not meet the requirements for specific industries where the cargo tends to bulge during transport by road, rail or short sea ferry.

The curtain is fitted with vertical aluminium planks and has become a vital part in the total vehicle construction, suitable for load securing. The curtain, which can be forced inwards before loading, ensures that the trailer will not exceed the legal width limits – regardless of the type of cargo.

New improvements were developed, reducing the system weight by more than 80kg per vehicle, without any compromise on the performance. This results in lower system costs, more ergonomic handling, higher payload and thus increased efficiency to the end user. This ultimate solution has been tested and certified by German authorities (TÜV and UCI).

Ewals Cargo Care has adapted the XLS solution as its standard side curtain for over 10 years. Bart van Rens, Manager Fleet Control Ewals Cargo Care, explains: “We deliberately chose Roland as our partner to develop a side curtain solution, because they have the know-how, experience and manufacturing capabilities in-house. Partially based on our feedback from operational use, the solution has been further optimised. We’ve equipped over 2,000 trailers with XLS Side Curtains. To us, this is the new industry standard in intermodal transport.”

InfiniShield is a full range of digital and traditional printing technologies, specifically developed for side curtains, with multiple protective coatings to provide the perfect solution for every trailer. Combined with Roland’s thorough understanding of colour, composition, typography and design principles, and in-house graphic design team, they create breath-taking full colour prints. Together with the coatings, these curtains are dirt-repellent, easy to clean with up to five years’ warranty.

Sean Spelman, Product & Technology Cargo Control Company, says: “Roland has always been the pioneer in printing. Back in 1985, Roland was the first company in the industry to print on side curtains. At our Centre of Excellence in Europe we’re offering our customers any digital or offset printing technology available. Based on the requirements of the customer we’re able to provide the ultimate printed curtain, from single sets to entire fleets.”

Sean explains: “We continuously invest in development of digital printing technologies, quality of graphics and coating, to maintain our No.1 position in the market. We’re proud to be recognised for our innovative side curtain solutions and outstanding durability under all conditions. Supplying our solutions throughout Europe from small to large end users.”

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.