Haulmark Trailers attended the Brisbane Truck Show last month to showcase its live bottom trailer model to the market. This was a key moment in itself as it was the first time Haulmark Trailers exhibited at the event since the turn of the century.
The trailer made quite the impression. Attendees and visitors, according to Haulmark Trailers, were eager to see the innovation on display in person. Meanwhile, it’s also been making strides in real-world applications behind the scenes.
S.A.M Tipper and Equipment Hire (S.A.M) is one of the first fleets that has been reaping the benefits of the product in its operations. The construction company based in Adelaide, South Australia, started off in 2017 with tipper trailers to complete rural road works throughout the state. But as time went on and contract work for governments and local departments grew, the business recognised that moving floor trailers would be a better suit for its operations due to the safety and efficiency benefits they could offer over traditional tippers. Thus, S.A.M’s live bottom fleet began to grow.
“We went from one truck up to eight and from one live bottom trailer up to four,” says S.A.M Director, Kai Mitchell. “A lot of people are going for live bottoms due to the safety aspect so we’ve been progressing to them as well.”
Kai first came across Haulmark Trailers’ new live bottom trailer last year. He saw it from a distance at the OEM’s SA facility and instantly wanted to find out more about it.
“I was driving past Haulmark Trailers and I saw it out the front,” he says. “I thought I’d give it a good look-over, so I went in to see it and to speak to the guys there.
“It looked amazing. It was clear that it had high-quality running gear and parts, so I bought it from them.”
The trailer itself is made up of a Gincor Werx Hardox 450 steel plate body with fully insulated walls. It features Haulmark Trailers componentry and a two-ply conveyor belt system which, as Kai attests to, can unload bulk products effortlessly and efficiently.
“We were pretty impressed with the belt speed once we hooked the trailer up to our truck,” he says. “It can unload 28.5 tonnes in a minute and a half.
“It’s been a great unit all around because it does everything that we need it to do. There’s nothing I could fault about it.”
The conveyor belt system itself can move both forwards and in reverse. This not only reduces the chances of product getting stuck but also allows things to be moved around or emptied out of the back with the push of a button.
The live bottom trailer is also incorporated with a bunch of safety features as standard. For Kai, the safety indicators at the rear of the trailer have been most beneficial as they provide information on the unit’s operational status at all times.
“They tell you everything that’s happening,” he says. “There are four lights at the back and they will light up for different things, like if the rear tailgate is locked or unlocked or if the belt is engaged.
“You can see them in the rear-view mirror and you can then operate the features from inside the cab with a remote. So, it removes a lot of the guesswork that you might have to do.”
Another key aspect of the trailer is its ability to maintain temperatures during transit. This is primarily due to its fully-insulated body which was designed to keep asphalt, bitumen and other products heated in transport. This has been instrumental to S.A.M’s long transport journeys.
“It’s very good at keeping its temperature,” Kai says. “This has got a lot to do with the insulated body as well as the tarp system which is really tight and waterproof.”
The live bottom trailer is also very user-friendly and therefore doesn’t require a lot of training to be operated. Additionally, it’s very easy to clean and maintain due to the flush-mounted rear tailgate design which minimises the buildup of product during use.
At S.A.M, the unit has been on quite a few excursions since its arrival.
“We’ve done all of the Lincoln Highway with it,” Kai says. “This involved 200 kilometres of shoulder widening all the way from Tumby Bay and back towards Port Augusta. We’ve also used it for lots of asphalt works up around Port Augusta on the Augusta Highway. We were running it 24/7 there.”
It’s now being used to feed Adbri Cement’s Birkenhead plant with a variety of bulk products.
“Adbri Cement was looking to eliminate any sort of risk of units tipping over or touching sheds in tight spaces, so we showed them what we could do with our Haulmark trailer,” Kai says. “It’s since moved there full-time. It’s working five days a week and up to 24 hours a day keeping their concrete plant topped up with all sorts of aggregates, sand and whatever else they need.”
Kai says the safety and efficiency aspects really stand out in these operations.
“There’s no risks of tip-overs or us touching powerlines,” he says. “We were always having to watch out for power lines and adjust our operations accordingly with tippers, but we’ve now eliminated that with the live bottom trailer. It’s more efficient and safer for us because we have to instantly shut down the operation if any of those two things happen.”
Haulmark Trailers’ live bottom trailer has made an extremely effective debut at S.A.M. Kai hands it to the nature of the unit and its various features included as well as the aftersales support which has made the entire experience seamless.
“Haulmark Trailers are great to deal with,” he says. “They go above and beyond. They’re always willing to help, and they move really quick when they do.
“Haulmark Trailers has great workmanship and attention to detail, even with the little things. We’re impressed with them just as much as we’re impressed with their product.”
Kai is now planning S.A.M’s next move ahead and is hoping to deploy the Haulmark Trailers live bottom in road train configurations.
“We want to start moving into some bigger gear again, so we’d love to have a road train or a double setup,” he says. “We do quite long hauls, and making them even more efficient by getting more product to the location in one hit is definitely something that we’re aiming for.”
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