CONTINUING EFFICIENCY
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Elddis double-shifts i:s 280 trailers mostly Lawrence David and Schmitz hi-cube and needs every cubic mm of capacity. "We can't use Teardrops because shifting items like toilet rolls requires all available space," says Cook. "We have, however, taken on the electronic height adjuster pioneered by Commercial Vehicle Technology (CVT) and David Fox Transport so drivers can alter the spoiler height to f4 the trailer. We have 30 of those now."
The Air Management Control system, developed by Scarborough-based CVT (www.cv-tec.com), allows drivers to alter the height of the spoiler to f it the trailer from a remote behind the cab, thus avoiding any working at height.
"It's a case of continually reminding drivers to use it," says Rankin. "Although our trailers are typically 4.7m, some RDCs only allow standard-height trailers in, so adjustments must be made regularly."
"We've taken the M-B MegaSpace cabs and then recycled the big spoilers from the lower cabs to get the height," says Cook. Were also innovating with prototype spoilers from [Framlington-based] Hatcher Components. With the spoilers on, they are truly the ugliest trucks I've seen in my life."
These measures are paying dividends, with up to 0.5mcg gained through effective use of al• kits.
Elddis also runs a dedicated 4.825m drawbar for long-standing client tissue maker
hTA Hygiene. "It's too bespoke for general ulage, but for this job, running between two
points, it's perfect." says Cook. "It carries 90 pallets a time. Its a single deck and the roof lifts to help loading."
The company has made trailer apertures 3.1m, rather than the 3m it previously operated enabling them to carry up to 15% more product.
All vehicles are tracked with CAN-bus data to highlight fuel efficiency. Elddis is proud of its IT system, which shows every arrival and departure in real time. PODs are phoned in, as customers are not always available for signature capture, but clients can access the system to check their loads. "Our operation is 2417.364 days a year and our customer service desk is always open," says Cook. 'An■ problem and we can act on it immediately, oft( even before the customer is aware of it"