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emi-trailers used by hauliers to collect produce from farms take
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a fearful battering from overhanging tree branches as they inch their way down twisting country roads. Access to the premises they visit is often awkward, leading to close encounters of the expensive kind with gateposts.
All too many car drivers hurtle along rural lanes at a suicidal pace and don't see other vehicles—even large ones—until it is too late. The very size of a tractor And trailer combination makes it olnerable to accident damage i)ecause it is simply too big to get out of the way of a speeding motorist.
Its ability to withstand punishment and come back for more is one reason why Staplehurst
Transits has opted for Utility's 2 000 R trailer—winner of the temperature controlled category in this year's Commercial Motor Trailer of the Year Awards.
With 16 trucks in service, a mixture of rigids and artics and almost all Scan ias, the firm collects fruit from growers in Kent for onward delivery to wholesale markets across the UK. "We're one of only a few hauliers in the county that still does fruit haulage," says workshop manager, Ken Walker.
Apples and pears
Collections from farms take place year-round because of the volume of apples, pears and other produce held by farmers in cold stores to meet demand out-of-season. "We pick up everything in the afternoon, bring it back to our distribution centre just outside D
the town of Staplehurst, sort it and turn it into consolidated loads for our various destinations, then deliver it overnight," he says.
Walker's job title is something of a misnomer because he's involved in all sorts of activities, including specifying and ordering vehicles.
"The Utility looks old-fashioned, and its not smooth-sided, but the way it's constructed gives it great strength in arduous conditions," he observes.
Tipping the scales at just under 8.o tonnes unladen, the z000R is chassis-less, and its beefy sheetand-post construction riveted aluminium sidewalls are fully stressbearing. The roof is a one-piece aluminium sheet.
Protective guard
"The front bulkhead has a protective guard on the inside, and it's very strong," he says. "It just doesn't move."
The exterior body panels can be quickly and easily replaced if they're damaged, and the rear doors are cheap to change if there is an accident, says Walker A standard door blank costs 1175 under Utility's Barrier exchange programme compared with the f7cro Staplehurst had to pay for a back door for one of the other makes of trailer it runs.
"That hurts," he sighs. Staplehurst has one 2000R of its own, acquired around six months ago, and it's proved both durable and reliable.
"We've had one small paint problem on a corner panel, but Utility is going to take it into a paint shop, and get it put right," Walker says.
Two other 20 oo Rs were sourced from Gra ylease 18 months back, and they've been just as dependable.
One of the Graylease trailers has suffered tree damage to one of the top corners, but although it was a tidy impact, it withstood it very well," he says. "By contrast, if a fridge trailer made from fibreglass hits something hard, then you've got a major problem."
Staplehurst's own 2 000 R is a single compartment air-suspended 13.6m triaxle fitted with Carrier Maxima refrigeration equipment—"that's given us no trouble at all"—and runs at 4°C. Equipped with BPW running gear, it's always coupled to a triaxle tractor, and the combination is plated at 38 tonnes.
It typically grosses at 36 tonnes, and averages around 8mpg.
"We keep two of our best drivers on it," says Walker. "One does days, one does nights."
Made from aluminium extrusions, the floor is tough enough to cope with pallets laden with i to 1.25 tonnes of boxed fruit each.
"It's as strong as an ox," says Walker. "You don't get any flexing, no matter how much weight you put on it, despite the chassisless construction.
"We favour a 15-inch return up the sides to protect them from being damaged by pallet trucks. It's welded to the floor pan.
"The interior surface of the sides is as hard as iron anyway."
He also likes the way the rear frame is reinforced with stainless steel. That helps prevent overeager fork-lift truck drivers from doing too much damage.
No trouble
The trailer is equipped with disc brakes. They've given no trouble, but Walker has specified drums on the two 2000Rs that he's just ordered.
Why? It hasn't happened yet, but he's become worried that all the mud and grit that can be picked up on farm work will lead to disc brake callipers seizing.
His concern increased when he saw how many callipers a parts supplier he recently visited had in stock.
Trailer drum brakes have improved enormously in recent years, he points out.
"The current set-ups don't wear the linings excessively, and are remarkably durable," he observes. "We've got a rental trailer with drums that we've been running for three years, and the linings are almost like new.'
Walker has had sideskirts fitted to the 2 000 R. They enhance its appearance, he contends, and have not sustained any damage despite the work it's on.
"They also improve the aerody namics," he says.
So how long will Staplehurs' keep the wooR it has bought: For as long as it will run eco nomically and meet legislation,' he replies.
The rest of the trailer flee includes three Fruehaufs witl insulated curtains, and the firm': attics cover some 2 0,000kM t( 22,000km each every six weeks "We used to run back empt] from the markets, but these day: we're starting to pick up one o two quite reasonable backloads including yoghurt for one of tho big supermarkets," he says.
Yoghurt run
We go to Bristol and Cardif every night, so the driver can rut back towards Cheddar Gorge, fin ish at 5am, have his rest, collec the yoghurt from near there the afternoon, and be back her for 8.30pm. Then he can take truck to London, and still b within his driving time.
"Then the next morning a dr ver can deliver the yoghurt to ou customer at Aylesford, and go o to Canterbury to collect fruit."