Double bottom benefits demonstration
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• The stability of a Volvo/Crane Fruehauf 38-tonne-gtw fully laden double-bottom outfit in braking and manoeuvring was demonstrated on Tuesday at the Military Vehicle and Engineering Establishment, Chertsey. The outfit's reduced cut-in compared with a maximum length semi-trailer and theease with which the trailers could be coupled to two smaller tractive units for city deliveries to supermarkets were also shown.
A demonstration was presented by Motor Thnnsport to put the case for the doublebottom vehicle as a suitable means of trunking bulk loads in the UK given that small vehicles were employed for distribution.
Having a total length of 18m, the double-bottom outfit can carry 26 tons of cargo equally divided between the trailers, the second trailer being hitched to a dolly. Finally, 20 light vans of 20 /25cwt capacity were driven on to the circuit to show the number of small vans that would be required to carry the same weight of goods. It was claimed that the cost of a load of groceries valued at a basic price of £1 would increase to £1.67 when delivered in the type of vehicles demonstrated and to £1.84 if delivered in smaller vans.
The occasion was also used to demonstrate the load noise level to BS3425 standard of the Volvo G89 300 bhp intercity tractive unit (80 dBA) and of the Volvo F86 city type tractive unit (78 dBA). Recoupling the trailers to the smaller units took about 12 minutes.
The driving axles of the tractive units are equipped with Dunlop Maxaret anti-locking brakes, and a Volvo spokesman said during a press conference that the fitting of non-driven axles with this type of brake would be "the next stage".