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A moving story
Page 44
Page 45
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Fruehauf says it has spotted the perfect opportunity to make a major impact in the UK moving floor market with its latest trailer. CM finds out what's on offer.
Words: Brian WeatherLey Every now and again the planets seem to be in perfect alignment. And for Matthew Wordsworth, Fruehauf Tippers' boss, that time is now when it comes to the company's new moving floor bulker. "We've got a window of opportunity to establish ourselves," he says, adding that with exchange rates currently hurting those Continental moving-floor trailer-makers who've previously won major business with UK operators, -The Euro is holding them out of the market right now, so it's the ideal time torus to launch a moving floor trailer."
Fruehauf s new 13.6m, 120yd3 trailer is the first in a new range of bulk trailers promised by the company following the unveiling of its Performance' tipper chassis (CM 19 March), which will eventually also include ejector and bulk-blower models. Indeed, the purchase of the old United Trailers' design rights, which included those three types, have given the Grantham-based trailer-maker an ideal foot in the door with its own UK-built moving floor trailer.
"We've based the moving floor on a design that we inherited from United, but with a lot of customer specification," reports Wordsworth. The first trailer has already been in service with a leading UK bulk operator, and according to Fruehauf s MD: "We've just held a review meeting with them and we've been really pleased as to how well it has been received — we have had very few snags on it."
The initial product is based on a half-chassis design with aluminium body and a Cargo Floor aluminium-slat moving floor. In short, it's intended for 'on-road' bulker work. However, Wordsworth insists that, in time, Fruehauf will offer no less than three distinct moving floor models. "We'll have a half chassis, a full chassis and a full chassis specifically for waste transfer operations."
Price premium
His choice of words when describing a purpose-built waste version capable of surviving the rigours of a UK landfill site is no accident. "I've definitely realised the moving floor market is challenging!" he says. "That's why we see those three distinct designs, whereas, at the moment, what we seem to have is that some moving floor trailer manufacturers are offering a half-chassis and a full [on-road] chassis that they've modified for waste work. The feedback we've been getting from waste operators is that they're not always up to it. However, they're also telling us that where there is a specific waste model that commands a price premium, they're prepared to pay."
The first model, based on DaimlerChrysler 'Air Master' running gear (where the axle tubes incorporate the air reservoirs, thereby saving weight) currently has a 27.5-tonne payload—although Fruehauf Tippers' chief engineer John Howard reckons that without a great deal of work, a further 300-400kg reduction in tare weight is achievable without compromising durability. While a full pricing structure has yet to be set, Wordsworth says a typical Fruehauf moving floor trailer will cost "In the mid-E40,000s, depending on its specification."
The ability to start virtually from scratch clearly gives Fruehauf an advantage, not least with regard to avoiding the mistakes made by previous moving floor-makers. "We're going in with a blank sheet of paper and we can create the right product for our customers, We're working with leading moving floor operators to see what they want, and coming up with the right standard specification but with options," Wordsworth confirms. "For example, if a customer wants a Keith Walking Floor, we'd fit it."
A one-stop-shop
With a moving floor model already out on the road, and a prototype ejector trailer being laid out on the assembly line floor at Grantham (see below), the company says it is moving steadily towards its goal of being the proverbial 'one-stop-shop: "1 didn't like having a chink in our armour when it comes to hulk haulage," states Wordsworth.
And as for all the planets being in alignment, the current downturn in the market and the desire from operators to boost efficiency by using dual-purpose trailers could also play straight into Fruehauf's hands. As Wordsworth adds: "I'm definitely getting the feeling more and more operators arc entering the moving floor market than ever before.
"But I've also been surprised by the level of interest we've received from operators looking for a UK-built moving floor trailer."
He continues: "The feedback is very positive in terms of us getting into more specialised trailers.., there's an expectation that we'll come to the market with a high-quality product." •