Four Insuliner trailers have now been delivered by Cartwright to Northwards following a trial.
The trailer has been specifically designed to combat the major corrosion problems that Northwards have experienced in the past as its trailers are continually exposed to salt spray during the 14-hour ferry trip between the islands and the mainland, with rust then becoming a particular problem.
With this in mind, the trailer has been designed around a fully-galvanised chassis with the headboard and rear door pillars made from the same material. For the crossbearers (supporting the insulated floor), side rave and cant rail, Cartwright used the innovative Magnelis coated steel, which offers the best possible strength with corrosion-resistant properties that are up to to ten times better than galvanising.
Neil Leslie, director of Northwards, stated: “We have 55 vehicles and around 120 trailers, and they are repeatedly exposed to the salt-laden air on the 12-14 hour ferry journey between Aberdeen and the Shetland Islands, particularly in the autumn and winter months. The problem of salt was affecting the build integrity of our trailers, particularly corrosion on the front bulkheads.
“The bespoke trailer is also fully ENXL-compliant, giving maximum load security for uniform loads without the need for additional strapping, and also features a twin pelmet and heavily-insulated curtain to ensure the best possible temperature control in the trailer.”
Neil added: “We are primarily serving the island communities in Orkney and Shetland and the freight is very varied. With a range of industries from aquaculture to oil & gas, it is a mixture of all types of goods for customers large and small to service the community on the islands and keep their economies going.
“These insuliners will be used to export fresh salmon from the islands, with the versatility of being able to load a variety of different cargoes for the return journey, by having the flexibility to load/unload through the side, rather than being restricted to the opening area of the rear doors on a standard fridge trailer.”
Northwards has also ordered two fixed double deck curtainsiders, one in company livery and the other displaying UPN (United Pallet Network) livery. Both will be used for UPN palletised deliveries.