UK trailer manufacturer SDC Trailers has won the 2015 Motor Transport Award in the Innovation Category for the design of an extendable skeletal trailer that can accommodate a 50ft rail container.
The award was presented to SDC Trailers’ Managing Director, Mark Cuskeran, at a ceremony in London.
Cuskeran explained the prize was testimony to the skill of the company’s innovation team and its close working relationship with Malcolm Logistics, the company which commissioned the unit.
According to Cuskeran, the Scottish intermodal operator reached out to SDC after facing problems either side of the rail journey when it would have to unload the contents of a 50ft rail container into a 45ft road container, adding another road journey into its operation.
“To overcome this, Malcolm Logistics and SDC Trailers teamed up to develop a 15.65m skeletal trailer that would accommodate a 50ft rail container,” he explained.
“The rear end of the trailer can be extended and retracted to accommodate containers of different lengths, but still be compliant under the DfT’s longer semi-trailer trial.”
The longer length skeletal can transport up to eight additional pallets per run, providing increased productivity and fuel economy.
Judges reportedly praised the entry for its practicality and clear benefits to the environment.