1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194 
SMART DESIGN
Page 62
Page 63
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Business is up at Andover 67:k Trailers but, as Andy Salter
discovers, the company 11111111W"`
isn't resting on its laurels...
AndoverTrailers is a company which by popular consent punches above its weight when it comes to involvement in legislation and its voice in the market. Dwarfed by the global players in the low-loader and specialist trailer and bodybuilder sector. nevertheless the company is a respected source both for opinion and innovation.
This is down to the people involved, and a meeting with the management team at Andover is always likely to be a lively affair. Irreverent? Sometimes. Heated? Often. But twing? NevenTim Wright, Ivan Collins and Leonard Fuller, the people responsible for Andove rTrailers, are bonded by one thing:a passion for this industry and the products they produce to serve the sector. You don't have to spend long in their presence to catch the bug.
After the usual opening exchanges regarding the weather, traffic in the South-East and other general St tiff we get clown to business — managing director Tim Wright is the first to admit that Hampshire isn't the most costeffective location for the trailer factory, but reckons the directors are a bit too long in the tooth to be upping sticks at this stage.
It's clear things are booming at Andover. Intnover is up over 70% in the past 10 years: the order book is full, delivery times are quoted as March and a bumper deal with the MoD has recently been bagged. Yet while this level of demand is a good reason to be cheerful, the fact orders are occasionally lost to competitors with shorter lead times is a concern. "Of course this is an issue," says MDTim Wright,"and we're having to go further afield to sub-contract out our sub-assembly operations in order to bring our lead times down."
Cost versus quality
While this will satisfy some operators, there remains the spectre of a gathering group of trailer importers sourcing from Europe and beyond who claim to meet the needs of the UK customer base at a more attractive price. It's a contentious issue and one that strikes a nerve with Andover."There are plenty of cheap trailers hitting the I JK market," Wright explains,"but they're building to a price and therefore the quality suffers."
Sales director Ivan Collins is more direct:
"Driving cost out of your business as an operator is all very well, but if it's at the expense of quality then it will cost you more in the long run," he says."Furthermore, ifin doing so you destroy the bespoke manufacturers like ourselves then you lose the expertise and specialisation in the market which the industry requires to build the products it needs to get the job done."
The irony that the very operators moaning most about foreign competition are those most likely to source products from outside the I. 1K isn't lost on Collins.I le has numerous examples of trailers that customers have bought on price to serve a particular job, but then suffered operational issues because the product wasn't up to the job. His comments may seem like bleating to some. but the full order bank and strong business is testimony to the fact this isn't just another company whinging about foreign competition.
"We're predominantly led by engineering and design in the way we do our business." says engineering director Leonard Fuller."As a result our cycle times will be longer. Many of our competitors are looking for the minimum amount of engineering input, because that costs time and money. In addition the market price is set by those volume producers and we have a very difficult job to persuade customers that quality products have a cost."
Continual innovation
Fuller will be well know n to members of the IRTE and no doubt to many in the corridors of the DIT and Brussels for his persistent lobbying on technical matters regarding vehicle design. Particular issues of concern are braking compatibility between trucks and trailers and the deployment of LEDs replacing conventional bulbs on trailers. Both of these are subjects we'll return to in future issues of CM.
Despite a full order book and good levels of business.Andover isn't sitting back and the company is continuing to innovate.A new steered step-frame trailer. possesrn.savs Andover, more inherent strength than European equivalents, is about to he launched to meet an increasing demand for improved manoeuvrabilitv.
Modifications to the legislation regarding lift axles on trailers has meant the axles are not able to lift when laden, which operationally was its primary advantage — particularly in the step-frame sector as lifting the rear axle improved manoeuvrability and reduced tyre scrub: "Mechanical steering gives the manoeuvrability going forward ." explains Fuller,"but in order to reverse you have to lock the axles in place and that creates the same problems as fixed-axle trailers.The huge benefit with powered steer on trailers is the ability to steer the trailer independently of the truck."
The result is a shift to powered steer axle for trailers— and while there are plenty of examples of the genre available from the hungry Continental market. Collins contends they're not fit for the job:"'llie Continental powered-steer trailers are built around a central spine and are built to carry a uniform load," he says."That's fine for most applications on mainland Europe, but 1:K operators need the flexibility to put a variety of kit on the trailer.The conventional design lacks strength on the edges of the trailer and over the axles.
"Our new design will give that strength: he adds, with a nod toward engineering director Fuller. A tour around the factory floor after our meeting is the proof of the pudding. A power-steer step-frame is under construction and looks to be a mighty piece of kit.-We'll start with a non-extendible trailer then develop an extendible version," Collins says.
It's clear, despite the competitive and strategic challenges Andover Trailers faces, the company remains committed to continued product development and quality engineering.The market will of course decide whether it's prepared to pay the price for that in terms of higher front-end costs— and the battle has already commenced. It's one that the Andover team, on this evidence, are up for. a