Martrans Trailers is preparing to impress visitors to the Freight in the City Expo 2017 with a new compact version of its Walking Floor trailer, designed to give greater maneuverability than traditional straight tippers in tight urban areas.

The Compact V Floor Walking Floor trailer is targeted at companies transporting aggregates and coated tarmac materials.

The body, which can be adapted to any make of vehicle, is fitted to an eight wheeler rigid DAF chassis with a 5.1 wheel base to keep the vehicle compact.

It has a rear steer back axle to aid maneuverability in confined spaces which lifts when the vehicle is empty to relieve wear and tear on road surfaces.

Martrans Trailers, which is a subsidiary of Paneltex Group, developed the trailer for ABH Haulage of Mansfield.

The brief was to create a Walking Floor trailer which could give maximum payload and be able to deliver into cramped urban areas, sites with limited space or access, and areas with overhead power cables or services. The build took 20 weeks.

Morris Abbott, site and trailer development manager for Paneltex Group, said the Compact V Floor Walking Floor trailer stands out from the competition by being able to take almost the same payload as a straight tipper.

“One of the biggest problems is the reduction in payload to 18-tonnes in previous rigid tipper vehicles, which requires more vehicle movements than the traditional tipper, which has a 19- to 20-tonne payload.

"By getting the payload on this vehicle to close to 19-tonnes, we have gone a long way to reducing that problem.”

He added: “The other advantage is the vehicle’s suitability for road and rail tunnel work which unlike traditional tippers, which have to leave their load at the mouth of the tunnel can deliver into the tunnel, eliminating all that extra movement to feed the pavers.”

Abbott added that Martrans is seeing strong interest in the Compact V Floor Walking Floor trailer with a steady stream of orders.

  • See the Compact V Floor Walking Floor trailer and tonnes more at the Freight in the City Expo 2017, taking place at Alexandra Palace on 7 November. Register for your free place today.

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