Serco has been quiet on this one but it’s now out. In an effort to broaden its product offering in dry freight box bodies and trailers, the company has taken a step out of its traditional role of refrigerated vehicles by announcing an order of 16 of its new style dry freight interlink box trailers from Vicky’s Transport (VTS).
VTS has taken delivery of 10 of the vehicles which will be used for the distribution of dry cargo with another six units in build with Serco for delivery during the second half of the year.
Serco’s new style dry freight interlink trailers boast a higher than the normal loading volume of 141m3 which directly contributes towards lowering transport costs. The trailer configuration has a through loading capability to ensure efficient loading and offloading while the lightweight design chassis offers a payload of 36 tons. The trailers have underslung belly boxes which can be loaded through side access doors as well as from inside the trailer with a lifting floor system.
Accessing the belly boxes from inside the trailer during loading improves loading efficiency and security. The belly boxes have been integrated into the trailer chassis to increase the loading space available and, in addition, the floor is capable of withstanding forklift loading.
Commenting on this product, Clinton Holcroft, CEO of Serco Industries, says it is part of a strategy to broaden the company’s product range. “In the past, 80-90% of our products were refrigerated vehicles and although we’ve done pure box bodies this is our first interlink. It’s a new step for us in terms of providing increased volume loading space in a box body. Going from 128 cubes to 141 is a fair step up and we’re happy with the result,” he says.
He points out that from a security point of view, the box body interlink is “as good as you can get” while the water sealing is also excellent. “It’s also got more cubic volume than a curtainsider and with the added advantage of improved security, we’re hoping it will attract more customers.”
Well, the interlink dry freight box has already attracted an order of 16 from Vicky’s Transport – so let’s see how it goes from here. It certainly is a breakaway from Serco’s past.
