AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Light "Artics" Beat Monopoly

13th March 1959, Page 119
13th March 1959
Page 119
Page 119, 13th March 1959 — Light "Artics" Beat Monopoly
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

By

Steve Sinipson How Ingenious New Zealand Operators Beat State Restriction on Vehicles Weighing Over 21 Tons Gross

TATIONALIZED transport and speed restrictions have stimulated the velopment in New Zealand of a new te of vehicle—the mini-trailer. It is t gaining ground among operators, consists of a small pick-up-type me mover attached by means of a wentional turntable to a two-wheeled iler with up to 28 ft. of deck length. operators are claiming up to 30 m.p.g.

smooth bitumen roads, good inceuvrability and low operating costs. New Zealand, all railways and most ig-distance road services are owned by State. The private operator desirous hauling on a route parallel to Stateined services is required to apply for a :.nce when his vehicle's gross weight :eeds 2+ tons. If a vehicle's weight :eeds this amount, a rigidly imposed !ed limit of 30 m.p.h. is also obligatory.

Towing at 50 m.p.h.

Vehicles of less than 21 tons, on the ter hand, may work without special ences and at up to 50 m.p.h., the limit Lich is universal in the country. obably the first mini-trailer was conacted by a timber haulier using a hvett Bradford prime mover, substanlly reinforced, and a 20-ft. trailer pable of carrying up to 2,000 ft, of wn timber, Having previously worked a fleet of o 5-tonners, he was sceptical at first. aecially as much of his work was over formed roads into and out of the .est. The Bradford, however, proved me than equal to the task, and follow; a proving period the operator conucted another trailer, thus making ssible a quick turn-round.

Over 100.000 miles he reported 30 p.g., a large saving on tyres, and great rings in expense on spare parts—Reo rts at that time being not only costly t also hard to obtain.

Soon the idea caught on, particularly where conditions called for the regular haulage of lightweight, bulky loads over twisting, country roads, and it was not long before Motorways, Ltd., one of New Zealand's biggest tyre retreaders, were operating a fleet of mini-trailers on country routes. This company mainly use Austin A55. pick-up chassis, suitably strengthened, and several have gone into six-figure mileages with success.

Then the milk and cream hauliers and the agricultural contractors followed suit. Now it appears that the mini-trailer. fathered by necessity and born out of ingenuity, could well become the mediumweight vehicle of the future. It is handy, easy to service and maintain, economical to run and simple to drive.

Perhaps the most intriguing example of a mini-trailer I saw was one operated by Mr. Alex Black, Dunedin, a B.M.C.

franchise holder. He was paying £NZ26 to have each new car shipped 225 miles from Lyttelton.

Then he built himself a mini-trailer, having first carefully assessed the weight. By drilling, lightening, using a Duralumin-framed seat and discarding the prime mover's bumpers, he achieved a tare weight of 19+ cwt.

Now he regularly loads three men into it, covers the road to Lyttelton at a steady 50 m.p.h. and picks up four A35s from the steamer. The drivers, working to a plan, remove the batteries and spare wheels from two of the cars and load them into the boots of the other two, which the spare drivers convoy home to Dunedin.

The two stripped cars are placed on the mini-trailer, and proceed after the driver first obtains a weighbridge certificate showing the outfit's all-up weight as just 9 lb. less than the legal limit.

Occasionally a traffic patrolman will intercept the mini-trailer and carry out a weighing check. So far there has been nothing unlawful in this scheme, which costs £10 for the collection of each car,

Tags

Locations: Bradford

comments powered by Disqus