Fit for business
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• Last month's bigger-than-ever HITE show reflected a growing optimism. From the abundance of technical innovation on display, manufacturers have clearly taken advantage of the year-long lapse in business to lighten, improve or streamline their product ranges.
There were revised tail-lift designs from Del Equipment, Hydris, Joloda, Longdon Truck Equipment, Ratcliff, Ray Smith and Ross and Bonny man, accompanied by new shutters from JR Supplies (Whiting Excels and Henderson (Access Plus). Technical Panel Industries' too exhibited its latest Advance closure which uses a new, continuous rubber seal to link ply or colourimpregnated Glasonit panels.
Among the load control systems on show, a Norteck trailer featured Ancra's newest pneumatic roller tracking for handling air freight pallets. The floor is built in four sections. each one raising separately via
rear-mounted controls.
Add-on styling panels included those from Hatcher Components, Southfields and Truck Panels while Aluvan exhibited its latest Klemmbau body kit. This achieves a smoother side simply by clamping the aluminium panels together, using galvanised steel stiffeners rather than rivets.
Dual compartment bodywork was represented by GRP Massey's Sainsbury-bound reefer trailer with underslung Transfrig Futura eutectic-beam system. Schmitz meanwhile joined a group showing options for adding second decking. Its 13.5m exhibit uses horizontal load bearing cross beams that lock into vertical guide rails and are able to carry pallets of varying heights.
Bodybuilders looking for extra market share includes Gray and Adams which, contrary to its usual chassis-less designs, had a reefer box built directly onto a tri-axle chassis.