Australian supermarket chain, Coles, has recently taken delivery of 144 refrigerated and ambient semi-trailers built by German trailer giant and European market leader, Schmitz Cargobull.
According to Schmitz Cargobull, the trailers vary in capacity between 16 and 24 pallet spaces and measure 3.9 to 4.3m in height, depending on the load volume. They will be operating throughout Victoria to supply Coles stores in and around Melbourne with groceries, frozen food and fresh produce.
The Coles job is the largest contract Schmitz Cargobull won since the brand was re-launched in Australia in 2013. Ever since, the company is more active than ever in Australia, promoting a range of transport equipment custom-designed to suit the local marketplace.
According to General Manager, Michael Temminghoff, several structural reinforcements and safety features as well as a new, highly insulating foam have been incorporated to withstand the country’s demanding road network and blistering heat and to keep operational costs low.
To Coles’ Craig Porter, however, the decision to opt for Schmitz Cargobull was mainly driven by safety considerations. “Coles had several key criteria that influenced the decision making process. Primarily, these were safety, sustainability and service – and the Schmitz Cargobull trailers were ideally suited to meet them all. We were especially impressed with the all-around under run protection, designed to maximise the safety of all road users; as well as the standard Schmitz Cargobull inclusion of disc brakes, electronic brake stability and anti-roll over technology to provide better braking performance in a controlled environment for the driver. Having these features as part of our standard specification provides the driver and the public with the optimal benefits of road safety and trailer performance.”
Porter added, “Additional features like the fully recessed load securing rails for maximum internal width within the trailers, retractable rear steps and internal LED lighting also improve the safety of our team members when loading or unloading trailers.”
In addition to what he called a “full safety package”, Craig also had environmental performance and efficiency in mind when making the purchasing decision. “At Coles, we are also focussed on environmental responsibility and operational sustainability of the fleet. To achieve this, we need a trailer design that is highly energy efficient and consistent with road friendly design features.
“The Schmitz Cargobull trailers– thanks to their insulation properties and performance, road friendly suspension and low-maintenance chassis and driveline – are helping us keep operational costs low, while delivering outstanding benefits in temperature control and efficient use of temperature management to reduce our carbon footprint.”
Schmitz Cargobull’s newly appointed Australian General Manager, Michael Temminghoff, commented, “We are delighted to be able to call Coles our customer and to supply them with the latest model from our refrigerated product range. We are working towards making this the beginning of a long-term partnership. That’s also why we continue to invest into expanding our service and repair network throughout Australia.”
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