BRIEFS
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• Burtons Biscuits has acquired a pair of Seddon Atkinson 17-tanners fitted with Don-Bur Numo Spacemaster sliding panel bodies in Wagon Wheel livery. The first (pneumatically operated) panel is swung out from the body side, allowing the other two sliding panels to be moved to gain access anywhere along its length. When closed the body sides form a solid weatherproofed wall, with an internal width of 2.48m.
• Southfields has supplied Air Express International's Manchester fleet with a highly specced Ultraloada curtain-sider. Used for fast loading of the latest generation of wide aircraft pallets, the triaxle trailer's spec includes ROR running gear with lifting front axle, steelreinforced high-security cur tains, extra wide rear access, disc brakes and a Hydraroll roller-bed floor.
No wait for weights
• Dutch low-loader trailer specialist Nooteboom has moved into the computer software business with a product designed to help all goods vehicle operators. NoVAB (Nooteboom Vehicle Axle Load Calculation program), does what it says—it calculates the axle weights for a given load. The program, which is available in English, can be customised with an operator's vehicle dimensions, each vehicle being identified by its fleet or registralion number. All classes of vehicle, from two-axle rigids right up to 15axle low-loader rigs can be catered for. Having entered the vehicle details, all the operator needs to do is enter the load details, and the program will instantly calculate axle and kingpin loadings. Extending trailers and overhanging loads are automatically taken care of. NoVAB, which is expected to cost around £75, requires a PC with a minimum spec of Pentium 90, 8Mb RAM, Windows 95, CD-ROM and 10Mb of hard disk space. It is available from HISE.
Contact: 01536 204233.
• The Dutch police are using new technology to detect axle overloading offences, with sensors buried in the road surface to record the details of passing trucks.
A police car parked up the road has a monitor which displays a photo of the truck, its speed, overall length and axle spacings, and gross and axle weights. Offences are automatically flagged up; all the police have to do is stop the truck and serve the paperwork. This system is now operational at a number of locations in the Rotterdam area, and is expected to spread in the near future.