'Deckers with cube
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by Bryan Jarvis and Bill Godwin • The recent first-stage handover of Securicor's Omega Express parcels distribution centre at Hatfield was marked by an early showing of four new high-volume 13.6m twindeck trailers.
Built by Tidd Trailers of Sandy, Beds, the 4.4m-high quartet have full-length elevating parcel cages: when loaded they're stowed 1.Im beneath the roof. This leaves 2.14m of headroom beneath to the step and 1.8:3m beyond in the 3.8m-long front section.
It is a similar four-ram deetro-hydraulic system to that used in the straight-floored, wedge-shaped trailers that Tidd built for Parceline.
With the cage resting at neck height, up to six tonnes of looseloaded parcels can be fed in through its shuttered stainless steel rear end via boom conveyors (Hatfield will have 160 of these when completed).
A pull-along monitoring gauge with cut-out ensures parcels do not exceed a set height. Once filled, the cage i s raised and locks automatically into the roof.
ROR triaxles have Mega Lift air suspension which is then extended to align the conveyors for loading the lower levels.
The GRP/ply box van trailers also have ROR triaxles fitted with twin 245/70R 19.5in tyres to gain the extra loading depth.
Tidd's shapely GRP nose panel is added along with stainless-steel rear facings and fixings and front corner caps.
Although running in UK traffic at 38 tonnes GCW, initially between Bristol and Manchester, the trailers are designed for possible continental use at higher weights.
Ferry lashing points are provided on each side.
When completed next February, Hatfield will be able to handle half of SOE's UK parcels business while the highcube trailers will also contribute to reducing the number of vehicles on the road.
With such potential the four trial trailers with their matching MAN 18.403 units could result in many more orders and Tidd is feeling confident about the outcome.