Tesco tractors'
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
3 swinging suzies
• All 400 of the new Scania tractive units entering service with Tesco are being fitted with a swinging-arm type of suzie connector. The assembly will be supplied by Grantham-based manufacturer Hydraulic Hose Assemblies. At least one other major supermarket fleet is also interested in the device.
The hinged arm is attached to a cross-member below the tractor's fifth-wheel coupling and swings round as the trailer turns when the truck is being manoeuvred in tight spaces. "It stops the suzie snagging and pulling away," says BHA vehicle systems manager Ian Milne. "We reckon that it can extend the life of a suzie coupling by 20 or 30 times." The company also makes the umbilical type connector which gathers all air and electrical suzies together in a single sheath.
Prices are around 1300 for an umbilical connector and around 1400 for the hinged arm type.