MAN swaps for Blow
Page 27
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Southampton operator Blow Transport has switched part of its fleet to a swap-body operation, with four MAN-VW chassis and eight demountable bodies, supplied by Southfields of Loughborough. The curtain sided, lightweight vehicles are for the company's parcels service to the Isle of Wight.
The chassis are 3.5-tonne gross MAN-VW LTs. The hydraulic swap-body system is by Ray Smith Demountables. This allows bodies to be pre-loaded as the chassis are delivering.
The bodies have full-length sliding curtains on the pavement side with panelling on the offside. Lashing goods to the wall is therefore made easier. Narrow roads on the Isle of Wight mean it is difficult to unload on the road side.
The swap-body fleet replaces four fixed-body Nissan 3.5-tonners, although some of the Nissans are being kept for other runs. The longer 3.65m bodies on the new fleet can carry larger loads.