Fresh food supplier Nationwide Produce has returned to Schmitz Cargobull for seven SK.O COOL refrigerated semi-trailers to feed its growing business.
The box-body trailers, each sitting on a fully galvanised MODULOS chassis with a 10-year warranty against rust-through, feature FERROPLAST® panels. These are stronger yet thinner than glass-reinforced plastic bodywork equivalents – boosting strength but reducing weight.
David Flinders, Group Transport Manager at Nationwide Produce, says: “We went with Schmitz Cargobull again because their trailers give us the best payload – up to 26 tonnes, as and when we need to use it. Despite being lighter than competitors’ trailers, they are also extremely strong.”
Schmitz Cargobull’s proven FERROPLAST® technology combines the increased insulation of a polyurethane hard foam with a durable and resistant covering of multiple layers of coated metal.
The result is a self-supporting product without any thermal bridges that may affect cooling performance. Another advantage that FERROPLAST® has compared with fibreglass walls is its vapour diffusion-tight metal covering. This prevents the absorption of efficiency-decreasing moisture and protects it against the accumulation of additional weight. Consequently, less time and energy are required to reach the essential level of refrigeration. The trailer’s temperature can also be maintained for a longer period, resulting in lower operating costs.
If any damage does occur, the panels can be easily repaired rather than the trailer side requiring whole body repair.
“Having FERROPLAST® panels is useful because we deliver to and collect from a lot of tight places. If something does happen, we can get the repairs done quickly with minimum fuss at a Schmitz Cargobull Service Partner,” says Flinders.
Limiting downtime is important for a business that prides itself on prompt delivery nationwide, often next day and always within the specified one-hour slot. The new trailers, four of which feature Dhollandia tail-lifts, are based at the family-owned firm’s depots in Evesham and Spalding. A short time from manufacture to delivery meant Nationwide Produce avoided hiring additional trailers for the busy period.
The new tri-axle trailers with Thermo King refrigeration units are being used for multi-drop operations, delivering to locations including RDCs, wholesaler and food processors’ premises, and retail customers. Once deliveries are completed, the trailers collect produce from growers to restock Nationwide Produce’s depots ready for sale the next day.
Schmitz Cargobull’s TrailerConnect® telematics is fitted as standard on the trailers, providing 24/7 monitoring of the trailer’s exact location, plus vital data such as the interior temperature. The operator is also making full use of the newly introduced ability to connect Schmitz Cargobull’s telematics with Webfleet management software straight out of the factory gate.
Most of Nationwide Produce’s approximately 60 trailers feature the blue elephant logo on them, and the relationship has gone from strength to strength since the supplier’s decision to set up its own in-house transport in 2019.
The deal was facilitated by Geoff Ward, Regional Manager for the North West, Wales and the West Midlands at Schmitz Cargobull UK & Ireland.
“Schmitz Cargobull are fantastic. Geoff is great too and helps us with questions and offers advice. We listen to the experts, get the information from them and work as a team. If you do that, you get it right,” says Flinders.
