Trailer rental and management firm Cedartone says it has dispelled the myth that disc brakes are uneconomical on fleet and rental trailers.
It cites one of its four-and-a-half-year-old reefers which, in more than half a million kilometres (310,685 miles), has only required one new set of brake pads.
The East Midlands-based company says the 26-pallet, 13.6m tri-axle Schmitz Cargobull reefer was a cost-effective and reliable investment that has served a long-term rental contract on national and regional distribution operations for up to six days a week.
"A fridge trailer to a small company like ours is a significant upfront investment," comments Cedartone owner Stuart Robinett.
"Prudent cost management is essential; what may be a modest problem to some fleets may be something that costs me a disproportionate amount of money," he continues.
"Given the high mileage, the minimal maintenance the trailer has needed certainly disputes the view that disc brake systems are more costly to run [than] traditional drum brakes. In its four and a half years of continuous use, the trailer has not suffered any mechanical or structural failures, which is very impressive."
