The 4.95m-high Wedge trailers allow full height clearance for loading over the neck, carrying 128 roll cages – giving 23% more load compared to Boots UK’s existing stepframe trailers that carry 104 roll cages.
This extra capacity has enabled the retailer to reduce its trunking fleet size from 340 to 280 trailers, maximising the initial return on investment.
James Parkinson of Boots UK (pictured, right, with Transdek sales director Leon Butler), said: “With the introduction of Transdek’s innovative Wedge trailer we are aiming to save on average 1,092 trunks a year, which would cut up to 348,000km (216,000 miles) from our routes.
“These significant savings support our goal to deliver retail products from our warehouses to Boots stores as efficiently as possible.”
The trailers have several patent-pending features, including their chassis and body design, and independent twin slide rear doors, which allow the doors to remain sealed until after docking and provide increased load security.
The door design also avoids hazards for drivers that can occur when opening barn doors in busy yards prior to docking.
The trailers will be the first to be manufactured by The Cartwright Group at its Altrincham, Cheshire facility, under a new licensing partnership with Transdek announced at the end of April.