A skeletal 'in the cupboard can be useful
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by CM reporter
ONE of the main reasons for an operator to buy an articulated vehicle these days appears to be to obtain a vehicle with sufficient platform length for his purpose. The number of operators using artics as they were meant to be used seems relatively small.
For those who are doing so, however, a problem often seems to be to decide what proportion of trailers to tractive units is the most economical. Vagaries of traffic flows can mean trailers standing idle in the yard tying up scarce capital. On the other hand, at peak periods, the situation can arise where a few extra trailers might be the answer to an operator's prayer.
Trailer hire
Perhaps the solution to the problem lies in trailer hire. There are a number of companies which specialize in this service but, to discover an example of what can be obtained, I spoke to GSU (Vehicles) Ltd, of Old Trafford, Manchester.
This company was originally consti tuted as a trailer sales organization but branched into hiring (as Central Trailers) about four years ago. It now has a fleet of 400 trailers from which to choose and the operator is able to obtain special-purpose trailers in his own livery if he so wishes. However, this type of trailer is usually the subject of long-term contract arrangements.
For instance, a type of trailer which large concerns often hire as a means of conserving capital is the skeletal for container operation, GSU numbers among its customers negotiating long-term hire of skeletal trailers such organizations as Cunard, OCL, BRS and National Carriers.
However, the smaller operator looking for short-term hire — perhaps to augment his own fleet in peak periods — will be more concerned with short-term hire and matching trailers to his own tractive unit.
A useful feature of potential hiring is that it enables the operator to acquire carrying capacity to test any new job offering, so that he can measure the profitability of the work without corn mitting himself to expenditure oi vehicles. Having sampled the job am decided that it will be remunerative he i in a position to assess whether it i economical to continue to hire o whether the purchase of his own equip ment would be more profitable. Should he wish to buylis own trailer, then GSI will negotiate the sale of the traile which he has been hiring if he so de sires. Alternatively, he can buy a used trailer if that suits his purpose better.
Hiring rates depend on the length o time that the trailer is hired. The corn pany provides daily, weekly, monthl six-monthly and yearly terms. For any thing over a year, individual terms wi be negotiated with the customer.
Responsibility for repair
The trailer is checked before it delivered to the hirer and again when is returned. If repairs are necessar these become the responsibility of tli hirer if the defects were incurred durin the period of the hire. The insurance the trailer while it is in the hirer's po: session is left to the hirer.
GSU arranges the maintenance d trailers hired out. For customers who! headquarters are some distance from i own, GSU will nominate a garage d agency in the customer's area to unde take the maintenance and record keel ing. If the customer wishes to unde take the maintenance himself, then ti cost will be deducted from the hint charge. Operators are able to tal advantage of the GSU maintenan, scheme for trailers, whether obtain( from the company or not.
The scheme is based on an A and a service. The A service involves inspe tion each month, six weeks or eig weeks but the period between each se vice depends on the type of trailer ai the kind of work it is doing. The B se vice involves inspection twice a yei. with a major service every secoi inspection and a pre-MoT test servic
Matching trailers
There should be no problems matching trailers to tractive units. GS will undertake the conversion of bra ing systems to coincide with the mode systems fitted to trailers and will al undertake fifth-wheel coupling cony( sions.
For drawbar operation, the coi pany has designed and produced a do which incorporates a retractable lan ing leg. This, it claims, simplif manoeuvring when the trailer is u coupled and facilitates one-man trai coupling.
Trailer hire might be the answer many of the situations with which artic operator might be faced. Only can tell just how useful it will be.