Serco is supplying 22 demountable load bodies to Bakers Transport for use in the fleet servicing the Clicks Distribution Centre in Johannesburg. Fleet manager at Bakers Transport, Mohammed Cassim, says they are waiting for delivery of the units which will go into operation immediately.
For Serco, it was about servicing the customer by coming up with an innovative idea for Bakers to reduce the amount of downtime on their vehicles and also to speed up turn-around time.
Serco managing director Clinton Holcroft says the demountable load bodies, complete with load securing straps, are a relatively new concept on the market. A sort of container concept on wheels!
“The idea is that the body and the sub-structure can be dropped off at the distribution centre while the chassis is taken away to be reloaded. The turnaround time is much faster,” says Holcroft.
“Part of the challenge was to get the tail lift to operate from the truck chassis instead of from the body as is generally done. This reduces the number of tail lifts required, as well as the financial outlay by the customer, saving money and giving our client the edge,” says Clinton.
Cassim says the units will be ideal for the quick loading and offloading needed around the Clicks Distribution Centre in Johannesburg. “We’ve been doing business with Serco for the past 10 years and more and can vouch for their high-quality products and services,” he says.