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BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND CASE STUDY ONE: ROYAL MAIL
Page 34
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When Royal Mail unveiled its innovative Safety Concept Vehicle (KV) last year (CM 21 May 2009), among the 44 additional safety items fitted to the DAF CF85/Cartwright artic combination was a ground-level Susie coupling system developed by the Cheshirebased trailer-maker.
The unit operates on a similar principle to the Montracon MAVIS in so far as it features a laterally sliding coupling box on the front bulkhead. However, on the Royal Mail trailer, it pulls out beyond the nearside edge of the bulkhead, allowing even easier access to the hoses and connectors. Moreover, all the connections have been rotated 90 degrees so they face downwards allowing a driver to gain extra leverage when attaching an air line.
This is further aided by large grip-collars around the airlines. When the sliding box is no longer needed, it pushes back beyond the nearside front corner of the bulkhead, out of harms way. The CF's tractor connector points have also been relocated on the nearside.
Having used the SCV extensively in its normal UK trunking operations and, following feedback through a questionnaire, Ian Pizzey, commercial manager at Royal Mail network distribution reports driver response to the sliding susie coupling has been "superb".
"The idea has been a really positive issue for us. Ultimately, this is the way I think we should go. Falls from a vehicle are still a major source of RIDDOR incidents for us, and if we can, we should keep drivers away from the catwalk," Pizzey says, although he also admits to having some concerns about the system. "I feared that by moving the connections to one side, problems with air lines snagging would resurface, because they're normally mounted centrally and on an A-frame on the tractor but is worked well, the drivers love it." Although compatibility with older trailers in the Royal Mail fleet make retrofitment of the ground-mount unit unfeasible, Pizzey says the firm is looking at fitting it on all new trailers.
• www.cartwrightgroup.co.uk