The trailers provide a 3.2m side aperture for loading and feature SDC’s alloy curtain rail, a combination which is said to be well-suited to Elddis’s requirements for transporting full and part loads throughout the UK and Ireland.
The family-run business is headed up by managing director Nigel Cook whose father Geoffrey founded Elddis Transport in 1971. The brand originated from the name of Geoffrey’s father Siddle, whose spelling was reversed to make the company name. Over forty-nine years later, the distinctive yellow and navy liveried fleet includes 165 vehicles and over 320 semi-trailers operating around the clock.
While price-competitiveness is compulsory for survival, Nigel is also mindful of the company’s fuel and energy efficiency, and its has established several ways to minimise carbon footprint through equipment and operational initiatives. The modern Elddis fleet is made up of a mixture of standard, high cube, and longer length trailers, with low resistance tyres, LED lighting, and integrated telematics to optimise vehicle performance.
MD Nigel Cook said: “At Elddis, we are continually striving to enhance the efficiency of our operations so that we can offer the best possible service to our customers. Reliable equipment is extremely important for our day to day deliveries and I am pleased with the quality build and high specification on our new curtainsiders from SDC which will strengthen our service in the demanding FMCG market. The trailers are built to EN 12642 XL standard and we have added various extras to enhance loading and safety during use.”
The Freespan trailers were manufactured at SDC’s Mansfield facility in Nottinghamshire, which recently completed a major upgrade with the addition of a new state of the art trailer assembly line. SDC acquired a second 42,000ft2 workshop next door to the current factory, which has allowed it to double new-bodied trailer production capacity and increase the number of workshop bays for their aftermarket repair and refurbishment services.