One of the first new-design Wilcox Type 3 plank sided stepframe trailers has gone into service with T&J Haulage of Clitheroe, Lancashire, complete with Hyva FC169 tipping hoist.
With the new trailer offering an additional 200kg payload without sacrificing rigidity, T&J director Trevor Walker believes his most recent purchase is ideal for multi-purpose 44-tonne tipper haulage.
"We'll always go for the best specification equipment possible, simply because this way our earning potential is always maximised," explains Walker.
"We need trailers that are equally at home on unmade quarry roads, farm tracks or the highway. As a result, we definitely prefer the extra strength of a steel chassis, but within that we also want the best possible payload as well."
Made from Domex hi-tensile steel, Wilcox Type 3 trailers can be up to 380kg lighter than its earlier steel chassis designs. Also, to maximise weight savings, T&J chose Hyva tipping gear, which Walker suggests is up to 40kg lighter than competitive equipment.
Working with a new Scania R440 6x2 Hi-Line tractor unit, the Wilcox/Hyva trailer offers a 29,750kg payload. The tractor was built on Scania's production line and fitted with a lightweight mid-lift axle having 19.5in wheels to add a further 450kg to the truck's payload capability.
