Trailer giant looks beyond recession

Issue: Winter 2010

Michael Parry reports

While the vast majority of vehicle and trailer manufacturers have been feeling the effects of the recession, Schmitz Cargobull decided to seize the ‘opportunity’ to redesign its UK manufacturing plant at Harelaw in County Durham and introduce a multiproduct trailer assembly line, which became fully operational earlier last year. The trailer giant’s UK subsidiary has recently added two models to its range of vehicles built for the UK and Irish markets – the MKO Rigid refrigerated box vehicle and a new fixed roof curtainsider.

“We are the first trailer manufacturing plant in the group to switch over to a modular production line,” said Tom Macallan, Managing Director of Schmitz Cargobull (UK) Ltd. “Yes, we were cautious of this new concept, our major concern was that quality would suffer, so we paid particular attention to this issue. However the redesign has been so successful that we now believe that any new Schmitz Cargobull facility in Europe will try to mirror our example. The response from the workforce has been excellent, we now have total flexibility which speaks volumes for our employees’ commitment.”

In terms of growth, Schmitz Cargobull (UK) Ltd has set its sights high and expects to increase its share of the UK reefer and curtainsider markets. The trailer manufacturer has traditionally been strong in the reefer sector and recorded a 40% share of the market in 2008-2009. For the same period, approximately 17% of all curtainsiders sold in the UK and Ireland were Schmitz Cargobull products – however the company is focussing on achieving a 40% share of the domestic curtainsider market by 2013.

The new MKO Rigid refrigerated box vehicle is available in 14, 18 and 26 tonne versions and has been designed to meet the needs of grocery retailers who require a vehicle capable of servicing smaller outlets where space is restricted. The MKO is available in lengths of up to 8.7 metres and a range of heights – although 2.5 metres is expected to be the most frequently specified internal height. It can also be supplied as a dual temperature vehicle if required and is offered with a range of options such as longitudinal dividers, side doors and tail lifts to suit the user’s specific requirements.

Significantly, the MKO Rigid’s modular sub-frame mounting has full manufacturers’ approval, which means that not only is it compatible with all makes of chassis but that the kind of chassis and sub-frame cracking problems often associated with this type of product have been eliminated. Schmitz Cargobull believes it is the only UK-based trailer manufacturer to have been granted full manufacturers’ approval from chassis manufacturers for its sub-frame mounting.

With the company’s stated aim of markedly increasing its share of the curtainsider market, the new fixed roof model has been designed to be more robust, lighter and easier to use than existing vehicles. The roof is produced using galvanized steel cassettes that interlock to form their own crossmember support structure. The cassettes combine to make one strong roof unit. Because the steel roof is lighter, the overall weight of the trailer is reduced – which improves fuel efficiency.

“The benefits of the two new products, and those we launched in April 2009, will take us into almost entirely new markets,” added Tom Macallan. “It’s not a case of replacing older models, it’s incremental sales over and above what we already have. It’s new products in new sectors to complement

Published: 21/01/2010