Refrigerated Service from Italy
Page 68
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THE refrigerated semi-trailers of Frigo European Road Services, Ltd., 18 Fruit Exchange, Spitalfields, London, E.1, which begin a regular service from 'northern Italy to London this month, will almost certainly introduce the longest scheduled service into this country.
They will carry up to 16 tons of Italian soft fruit on the inward journey and English meat on the return. Two services a week are planned, with deliveries to the London markets on Monday and Wednesday.
Four semi-trailers built by Umberto c30
Piacenza have been purchased. They are 33 ft. long overall and 8 ft. wide. Selfcontained refrigeration plant-powered by a petrol engine is fitted. An electric motor' is also provided. This may be driven from any mains supply. The tandem-axle trailers are fitted with air brakes and S.A.E. king pins for fifthwheel coupling.
Prime movers will be supplied on contract by haulage concerns in the countries through which the service passes. Up to the Franco-Italian border on the inward journey, the tractors used will be
oil-engined Fiat 682s. At the frontier the semi-trailers will be taken over by Belgian crews with their own tractors to continue through France and Belgium to Antwerp, to be loaded on board an Atlantic Steam Navigation Company's ferry for passage to Tilbury.
Motive power in England will be provided by A. W. Stout, Ltd., with Albion tractors, taking the semi-trailers direct from Tilbury to either Covent Garden or Spitalfields Market.
The estimated time for the single journey is 34 days, a claimed improvement over the carriage time for this produce by railway of up to seven days. A further advantage offered by the new service is that produce will be collected from the grower in any part of northern Italy with the same semi-trailer which will be unloaded in the English market.
Mr. R. Sinclair, the British representative of Trans Euro Frigo. Milan, who operate Frigo European Road Services, Ltd., in this country. estimates that he has potential traffic for three times the number of services now planned. with guaranteed full loads in each direction. Rates quoted per ton are approximately El below those charged by the railways