MaxiTRANS has delivered four innovative PBS A-double combinations to growing Victorian transport company, Porthaul, as part of collaboration between two of its brands, Freighter and Hamelex White,
The new combinations maximise payload while modular design means they can be used for a variety of purposes.
MaxiTRANS claims the ongoing cooperative efforts with the growing transport company Porthaul has produced some innovative Performance Based Standards (PBS)-approved combinations, thanks to the adventurous approach of Porthaul general manager, James Williamson.
The combinations consist of Hamelex White aluminium tubs, similar to those found on a grain tipper, mounted on lightweight skels from Freighter, with Freighter dollies, creating a modular combination produced entirely by MaxiTRANS.
“The fact that all parts of the trailer came from MaxiTRANS made the process a lot cleaner than going to two or three different suppliers to provide the separate dolly, skel and bin components. It meant I only needed one company who could coordinate the whole job for me,” said James Williamson.
The combination is designed to allow the trailers to “tip through” their contents when loaded onto the tipping ramp in Portland. The sliding dolly allows the front trailer to be backed up directly onto the rear trailer.
The modular design also allows the trailers to be used in different combinations based on the type of application they will be put to, providing Porthaul with increased diversity without purchasing extra equipment.
“These A-doubles can transport pretty much anything we want, from hauling woodchips, grain or fertiliser in the tubs, to removing the tubs to transport logs. 20 per cent of our combinations off the road, because this configuration gets it done.”
Adding to that saving, Porthaul has achieved a total of 81 tonne GCM – an additional 7 tonne gain over the previous quad quad Super B-doubles and 14 tonnes more than a standard B-double.
The design of Porthaul’s modular A-double combination earned the company a nomination for an ‘Investment in Technology’ award as part of the VTA Australian Freight Industry.
