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Flexibility for Golden Wonder
Page 25
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by Trevor Longcroft • Relaxation of legislation requiring a driver's mate for drawbar trailer operation has not — so far — been met with much enthusiasm by operators. However, it seems that the idea of using drawbar outfits is now gaining impetus. The possibility of running at 32 tons gross with a 20-ton payload, with only a Class 3 hgv licence requirement, coupled with the increased flexibility of two units capable of being loaded/unloaded at different times and different places, is now being realized.
An operator who has just accepted two drawbar trailer outfits for assessment within his fleet is Golden Wonder Ltd, of Market Harborough. Supplied by S. P. Commercials of Grimsby, each outfit comprises an 18ftwheelbase 16 tons gvw four-wheel AEC Mandator and a York semi-trailer mounted on a dolly — again York. The trailer is plated at 16 tons gross for its use in a drawbar outfit and 19.75 tons gross for artic use. Both the rigid vehicle and the trailer are fitted with Freightmaster bodies each having a 24ft 1.5in, interior length.
Mr D. D. Boote, distribution and transport manager, told me that the use of the drawbar outfits increases the pallet capacity to 26 from the 21 at present carried on the 16 tons gcw three-axle artics used mainly for carrying low-density crisps.
Further, the increase in payload possible with the drawbar outfit will mean that vehicles may carry a far greater load — 20 tons — of higher density peanuts than the 8 tons originally possible on the artic outfits.
CM recently had the chance to try one of the Golden Wonder outfits and, as the accompanying photographs show, we found it very manoeuvrable. I also found it easy to handle.