Australian poultry transport and logistics provider, Multiquip, is launching 10 advanced Performance-Based Standards (PBS) B-doubles from Muscat Trailers.
The B-double combinations feature tri-axle A trailers and quad-axle rear trailers with a custom roof system which can be raised for easy loading and unloading of poultry modules.
The first two combinations have arrived, with the remaining eight to be manufactured and deployed over the next year.
Multiquip Director, Jason Mikosic, claims these units are the most advanced live bird transport trailers in the world.
“These trailers set a new benchmark in both animal welfare and operational efficiency,” he told Trailer.
“They will allow us to carry almost double the payload of a single trailer which is very unique and efficient for their application.
“A lot of processing plants are using single trailers, so doubling that volume will make a big difference for us in terms of less trips on the road.”
The trailers are being purpose-built for one of Multiquip’s largest customers, Baiada.
The national poultry provider will be opening a new processing plant in Tamworth, New South Wales, during the middle of next year.
All 10 B-doubles will be used to transport live chickens to the processing plant from farms within a 100-kilometre radius.
Additional units will be built to the exact same design as required.
“All chicken processing plants have certain modules which go on the trailers to transport live birds,” Mikosic told Trailer.
“We needed to design a trailer that would suit the sort of module that works in Baiada’s processing plant.
“Their modules are like interlocking drawers which need to be load restraint-rated from the top of the frame, so we created a roof design with the help of Muscat Trailers that would hold the drawers together and secure the load in transit.”
The load restraint-rated system removes the need for additional straps and frames on the sides of the trailers.
To unload Baiada’s ‘Atlas’ poultry modules, operators simply have to press a button located at the front sides of each trailer to raise the roof by 600mm.
Forklift operators can then unload the modules, take them into sheds to be loaded with chickens and load them back onto the trailer.
From there, the roof can be lowered back onto the modules and inspected prior to the trailer’s departure.
Mikosic told Trailer this design will increase safety and efficiency for Multiquip.
“The biggest benefit of having no frames or tie down straps on the side of the trailer is that the truck driver doesn’t have to go anywhere near where the forklift is operating,” he said.
“This will keep operators away from danger areas, reducing the chance of injuries and increasing work health and safety.”
The PBS B-doubles will all feature Gross Combination Masses (GCM) of 73 tonnes with payloads of approximately 28 tonnes of chicken.
According to Mikosic, the axle configurations will make them extremely versatile units.
“The tri-axle front and quad-axle rear was best option for us because it gives us access to the majority of the farms in Tamworth through either a B-double or quad-axle semi-trailer,” he said.
“We looked at different combinations such as single trailers, standard B-doubles and road trains and found that this would be the most versatile configuration.
“We came up with a concept that we wanted to develop with Muscat Trailers, and they were very proactive with their engineering and designing to help us achieve what we wanted.
“They handled the PBS process, engineering and design very well to give us a good quality product which we hope will last many years.”
