Toleman cuts costs
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• Operational costs savings of 15% are being claimed by Alex Hawkridge, managing director of the Toleman Group, for his company's latest design of vehicle transporter.
The transporter, developed by 'Coleman in conjunction with Iveco and bodybuilder Lobr, has the capacity to transport up to nine large saloon cars such as Ford Granadas.
Hawkridge claims that such a capacity is unique, and has been achieved through careful design which keeps the vehicle's axle weight within legal limits.
'Coleman's engineering director, Alex Cooper, says the transporter's low weight/heavy duty character has been achieved through the use of light-alloy wheels, low-profile tyres, and the use of four major pillar assembly cross members incorporated into the chasis of a 5.4m wheelbase iveco turbo 165.24, producing a very low level lower deck.
To save weight further, a 600-litre fuel tank is fitted to the trailer, to provide 80% of the vehicle's needs. A small auxiliary fuel tank of 120 litres is fitted to the main vehicle for use when the trailer is detached.
A fuel line fitted with an electric heater connects the fuel tank on the trailer to the main vehicle via a quick detach coupling.
"We had a basic philosophy when developing this vehicle," he says, "to be able to load virtually any car we carry in any position."
With Toleman's patented ramp extension shoe and ratchet chock assembly, the transporter can be arranged to take any combination of vehicles as required. This saves driver time because it allows Toleman to load the transporter in a sequence of vehicles corresponding to the unloading sequence.
Hawkridge says that a key factor in the development of the transporters has been the completion of a new wage agreement with the drivers which aligns wages with revenue. "We felt we had to support the drivers on this by giving them time saving vehicles," he says.
The combination of the wages agreement and the new vehicle transporter has provided Toleman with dramatic savings. Hawkridge says, "Our wages cost per car mile is down by 30%."