DIY retailer Homebase has purchased six 13.6m step-frame tri-axle box van lifting deck trailers and six 13.7m ratchet deck curtain-siders from Don-Bur.
The bespoke trailers incorporate an 8KW Eberspacher heating system, designed to protect Homebase’s cages of fresh plants and flowers during transport. Situated within the front swan neck bulkhead, the unit transfers 250 m³/hour of warmed air via under floor ducts and inlet vents located in the lower deck flooring.
To maximise the use of space, the trailers are specified with an 8.9m long, 10 tonne capacity lifting deck platform, located in the rear 2/3rds of the trailer. The 55mm thick slim line aluminium planking maximises internal height aperture at 1950mm per deck and incorporates ventilation holes and air space down the sides to allow efficient air circulation to the upper deck area. The new design has allowed Homebase to carry 19 more 1350x565x1900mm cages.
The 38 tonne, 4.86m high curtain sided double deck trailers, have been specified for the trunking of pallets out of Homebase’s Worcester Depot. They include a 9.125m secondary deck, fixed to the rear 2/3rds offering side aperture heights of 1790mm to both deck areas. They include two central support pillars on the lower deck allowing unobstructed side access.
For additional flexibility, a 3.737m long, 4 tonne capacity Ratchet Deck module has been located to the area over the swan neck generating a total trailer capacity of 48 1200x1000mm pallets, an estimated 22 units more than in a single deck curtain-sider. Don-Bur says that the ratchet deck provides the facility for a fork lift to raise the deck module to the desired height and includes an automatic release function in the top position, allowing the fork lift operator to lower the deck again without having to get out of the vehicle fork lift.
