Capital Equipment News May 2015

TRANSPORT

KNAPEN TRAILERS supplies first 4-axle moving-floor trailer

T he 4-axle trailer was supplied by Knapen Trailers from The Netherlands to Transportbedrijf A. Krol. Knapen specialises in everything to do with mov- ing-floor trailers and goes a lot further than just standard trailers. With most suppliers, Variant X or Model Y is the starting point. At Knapen Trailers it is the customer’s re- quirements that are the starting point. Only then do they look at a vehicle and they do not shy away from special construction. The 4-axle trailer is a great example of this. The requirements were clear: a solu- tion for the transport of waste and compost with the greatest possible loading capacity. Another major requirement was that there should be no fines for overloaded axles as a result of poor weight distribution. People often choose a 3-axle truck with a 3-axle trailer. In order to use the additional axle

under the truck properly, the trailer has to be loaded as much as possible at the front.

Krol choose a 2-axle truck with a 4-axle trailer. The additional axle under the trailer is financially more attractive because of the longer service life. Moreover, the axles are better distributed along the length of the load. The fourth axle under the Krol trailer is a steerable axle as well as a lift axle. The 4-axle trailer therefore steers forwards and backwards like a 3-axle trailer. In addition, the first axle is also designed as a lift axle. Knapen Trailers has been supplying 4-axle trailers to Scandinavia for years. As an ex- tra option, Krol opted for a remote control for the moving floor. From now on, this will be a unique Knapen Trailers version that can be used to control not only the moving floor but also the lift axle and the lights. b