Double-decker trailers double the volume and value of loads

CLIVE EMDON A NEW trailer concept designed to double the volume and value of loads will enter the Biddulphs fleet in February. Double-decker trailers are being built for the removal and storage company, says MD Peter Farmerey, providing safe transportation for cargoes susceptible to crushing damage. The double-decker deals with problems of weight distribution in large volume loads, he said. The new concept vehicles are specially designed to Biddulphs specifications. Superlinks will haul two tautliner trailers, each with a maximum height of 4.3m and length of 22 metres. Pallets can be loaded from all sides and the roof lifts to facilitate loading. Farmerey says initially two sets of trailers are being built by Afrit for the company at a cost of R550 000 each. There are existing prototypes of double-decker trailers in use in South Africa, and they are used extensively overseas for fast-moving consumer goods. Biddulphs could also use the new trailers in its consolidation service for 30 suppliers of consumer goods to Botswana. The company provides services to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and Namibia, with warehousing depots in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Started in what was Rhodesia as a family business in 1928, its current staff comprises 800 with a fleet of 185 combination vehicles for cross-border haulage and domestic use within South Africa and Zimbabwe.