Called the step frame machinery carrier (SFMC), Andover says it is one of its most significant new products for a decade and is launched in direct response to operators needing one vehicle to move an array of machinery.
A year in the making, the SFMC has a standard length of 11.9 metres (king pin to rear), is available with a choice of 17.5- or 19.5-inch wheels and tyres – with either BPW or SAF axles – and features a Knorr-Bremse braking system with a Trailer Information Module fitted as standard.
The SFMC has a gross trailer weight of 45 tonnes, which can be increased to 48 tonnes if specified with optional slide-out extensions. This gives the trailer a payload of up to 35 or 38 tonnes respectively.
The combination of a full-length flat bed and full-width power-lifting neck ramp means the SFMC can carry both tracked and wheeled plant, access equipment with low ground clearance, as well as static payloads such as cabins or containers.
The load versatility is matched with securing options: 16 RUD swivel side lashings, rated at 10 tonnes; six screw-in RUD lashing rings on the bed, rated at either 14 or 16 tonnes; along with two chain trays. There are six more 13-tonne loops set into the floor of the neck of the trailer and two on the neck riser, plus three toolboxes.
Two of the first SFMCs have already gone into service, one with County Tyrone-based KDM Hire and the other with Wiltshire-based Thornbury Surfacing.
“Our customers were demanding a more versatile load carrier that could move a wider variety of equipment – all without compromising safety during loading or on the road,” says Bob Gowans, Andover’s commercial manager.
“This trailer is a major step forward in that regard.”