If you're selling trucks or trailers in Ireland they'd better
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be tough. Irish roads are notorious for separating the weak from the strong—and Irish operators have long memories of poor performers. The show run alongside last week's Irish Road Haulage Association annual conference was not large but it included some unusual kit: Brian Weatherley reports.
• Gorey, County Wexford-based Kinsella Trailer Sales has taken over from JC Payne as UK and Ireland sales agent for French-built Aubineau refrigerated bodywork. At the IRHA show it displayed a 13.6m 26-pallet reefer on a Samro steel chassis with ROR running gear and Thermo King SMX II fridge. It tares at 9.5 tonnes all up and costs £41,500. Pat Kinsella says the sectionalised Aubineau body, with one-piece outer GRP skin and urethane foam insulation, makes for "a very strong box". The show trailer has a claimed 0.276 K factor with side door fitted; the rear underrun section can be unbolted to fit a tail-lift. AKM Trucking of Tralee runs the semi for Kerry Fish. _ 00,,o0Kona arMEM ... M.MOW 1M. =WWI. O. WWWW
• Kinsella also imports the French Samro trailer chassis, including a 13.6m fully built-up curtainsider which weighs six tonnes with a sliding roof and a lifting front axle on the airsprung ROR tri-bogie. The chassis is a conventional steel construction but extensive use is made of aluminium, including an alloy rear underrun and alloy decking in a mixed aluminium and wooden floor. "Everything from the floor up is aluminium," says Kinsella. The lightweight curtainsider runs at the Continental 4.0m height limit with a 2.6m interior height. • Daf had no less than eight models on show including the new 95XF with the company's latest 12.6-litre straight six. The 422hp two-axle show tractor has the standard Space Cab, as featured recently in CM's sleeper cab test (CM 310 April). Among the other models on display was a 6x2 75 Series with a fully air suspended back bogie, lifting back axle and factory-fitted Pet Reg conversion which will meet the latest ADR regs adopted by Ireland.
• Chereau is the top reefer supplier in Eire; this 26-pallet triaxle is one of three entering service with Fahan, County Donegal-based John Deeney. It was supplied by International Trailers of Bagenalstown, County Carlow with air-sprung BPW Eco running gear and a Thermo King SMX II fridge. Build quality looks good while alloy side lockers, sideguards and double spare wheel carrier help keep the kerbweight down to dead on nine tonnes.
• Dennison Trailers exhibited a 13.7m curtainsider belonging to Murphy Transport of Cork sporting ROR FL] 1000 air suspension and GRP rear doors. Well-radiusecl front corners allow it to operate within the 2,040mm swing radius requirement. Its triaxle bogie has twin-wheels on the mid and rear axles with wide-singles on the lifting front axle, which is raised via a single offset air bag. Many Irish operators are still wary of wide-singles says Dennison, but they're coming around to them fast. The curtainsider features a hardwood floor, four sliding side posts and Groeneveld auto chassis lube.
• Traditionally, Gray & Adams has done better with its reefers in the North of Ireland, but it plans to change that situation with the recruitment of a qualified salesman to cover Eire exclusively. Chassisless triaxle show trailer has Carrier Ultrafresh 2 fridge and is operated by Dairy Gold Food Products. Built at G&A's Fraserburgh plant, it weighs in at around nine tonnes. A lightweight model is in the pipeline with a rumoured weight of 8.4 tonnes.