Wishart International, the Kirkcaldy-based Palletline member, has added two further double-deckers to its curtain-sided semi-trailer fleet. They bring to five the number of wind-cheating curved-roof trailers purchased this year for Wishart's pallet hauling operations. Each costing around £25,000 and built by SDC of Mansfield, the high-cube step-frame tri-axle trailers feature an upper deck which can be hinged up along the centre of the loadspace to allow clear fork-lift loading of the main deck.
With the upper deck in place each trailer provides up to 46 pallet spaces.
Four Krone trailers are on order for operations into mainland Europe, normally using ferry services out of Rosyth or Teesport. Unusually, they will have tail-lifts, making them self-sufficient when making continental small-drop deliveries. Wishart has acquired six Volvo 6x2 tractors in recent months two FH12s and four newer FH13s with I-shift transmissions and digital tachographs. Managing director Andrew Wishart says it is too early to assess the beneficial effects or otherwise of either the aerodynamic roofline of the trailers or the larger, and allegedly more fuel-efficient, 12.8 litre Volvo engines.
The firm has opened a 560sq m depot on Dundee's Riverside distribution park, as a precursor to other company developments which will include, in a few months time, a move of head office from Kirkcaldy to Dunfermline, close to the Forth Road Bridge. The threatened closure of the bridge to heavy
vehicles in 2013 would have a serious effect on the company's southbound operations but Wishart is optimistic that a new river crossing will be built in the next seven years.
Reed Business Information Limited.©2009
