Drawbar drays double as trunkers
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BREWERIES do not immediately appear to have a need for the extra volume afforded by drawbar operation, but Ushers Brewery in Wiltshire evidently disagrees.
The company has taken delivery of two Scania 82H 6x2 rigid prime movers and one Crane Fruehauf drawbar trailer. With the aid of a Ray Smith demount system, Southfield 24-ft urban loader bodies may be interchanged between unit and drawbar.
This loading system was devised to enable Ushers to run a stockless depot. Overnight the fully loaded combination Is run to an outlying depot where the double 9.2-tonne payload is exchanged for bodies loaded with empty barrels.
During the day two other vehicles then pick-up these bodies to make local deliveries, returning them to the depot at the end of the day full of empties ready for the next exchange. Meanwhile the two 24-ton gvw Scanias make local deliveries from the brewery as solo vehicles.
Even though the Scania outfit fills two roles, a 32.5-tonne trunking vehicle and a local delivery dray, the road fund duty is much less than on a 32.5-tonne artic and utilisation much higher than for a normal dray. With the flexibility given by the demounts and five axles Ushers hopes to be well placed if the drawbar weight limit is raised.