Bridgwater, Somerset, UK: Langdons, which has been running four 14.6 metre long refrigerated trailers since June last year as part of a government trial, has declared the move a “great success”.
According to the company’s newsletter Langdons received four long trailers in June last year after being approved by the Department for Transport (DfT) to carry out a ten-year trial. The trailers can carry 28 UK sized pallets or 35 euro pallets.
The extra pallet capacity will reduce Langdons’ carbon footprint by 4400kgs of CO2 per trailer per year.
The trailers have been built by Gray & Adams to a very high specification including tri-axle rear steer, dual evaporators, Mavis rail, satellite tracking, remote fridge monitoring, alarms and diagnostics, aerodynamic front headboard, vortex roof panel and LED lights, together with Langdons’ standard trailer refrigeration unit, the Thermo King SLX.
Engineering manager Tyrone Lanaway said that Langdons has recently submitted the mass amount of data required for the first period of the DfT “Longer Semi Trailer trial which is “substantial and in great depth”.
Lanaway said that the trailers have been accepted into the fleet well, with drivers commenting that they are a joy to drive – some even said they prefer the rear steer axle to the standard 13.6m trailer.
“Driver training is now complete which means all four trailers are now fully utilised on day runs as well as inter depot night trunks,” said Lanaway. “In a full year we expect the use of these trailers to reduce the total number of trunking runs by 112. With no reported issues from the additional length or extra carrying capacity and an average return of 9.2 mpg, the trial has to date been a great success.”
