Vawdrey’s greatest show

Leading semi-trailer manufacturer, Vawdrey Australia, represented its complete portfolio of high productivity vehicles and innovative road transport solutions at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show.

The latest and greatest in Performance-Based Standards (PBS) trailing equipment was on display at the Brisbane Truck Show – held last month at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Vawdrey stole the show with its 42-pallet Super B-double which is 4.6m high, boasts an interior volume of 215-metres-cubed and a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 68.5 tonnes. The tag trailer has a 24-pallet payload while the lead trailer can handle 18 pallets double stacked on a mezzanine floor. This design is available in straight flat deck, drop deck or double drop deck configurations on either trailer.

An overall length 30m gives access to the 2B road network and swept path on turns is minimised by self-steering axles at the rear of both trailer axle groups.

The lead trailer features a wide-spread tri-axle configuration which enables the on-road performance and swept path of the Super B to mirror that of a conventional 26m B-double while offering four metres extra overall length.

The Super B-double on display at the Brisbane Truck Show was specified with BPW Transpec axles and WABCO Electronic Braking System (EBS) on a double drop-deck configuration. The mezzanine deck is manually adjusted by forklift. Optional hydraulic lift mezzanine deck is also available.

Vawdrey’s Lift-a-Gate system with high gates is load rated to 1,160kg per pallet space and caters for 4.6m overall height which helps to mitigate the chance of operator injury from lifting gates. Meanwhile, Super-Strap curtains, load rated to 1,430kg per pallet space, eliminate the need for gates in general freight applications.

The Super B-double trailers on display have been future proofed with gates that comply with 2G classification which requires gates to withstand a certain sideways force and the curtains are not allowed to exceed 100mm deflection from the outside edge. Load rated curtains are an additional load security measure.

Turning our attention to Vawdrey’s jumbo freezer van, this Iceliner is 4.3m high and has capacity for 22 pallets.

Vawdrey Australia Director, Paul Vawdrey, says all panels were manufactured in-house and are completely Australian made with full length chassis and full width skid plate.

“Most customers prefer full chassis and full width skid plate for maximum durability, particularly when running through outback regions in double or triple road train configurations,” he says. “Vawdrey trailers are suitably engineered and manufactured to suit these harsh operational conditions. Single semi-trailer fridge vans with quad-axle and either 26- or 28-pallet capacity are also popular products in our range.”

The Iceliner on display also featured BPW Transpec axles and suspension and an internal load bar system to enable double stacking of pallets. Full length mirror polished aluminium side extrusions and 40mm insulated wall panels are standard.

Paul says the entire business has seen increased demand for PBS equipment as operators seek to push the boundaries.

“Transport businesses want more cubic capacity for load space which is why we are offering our 42-pallet Super B with 215-metres-cubed capacity and 68.5-tonnes GCM,” he says. “For operators chasing high payload capacity we have the 30m A-double with 85.5-tonnes GCM with 40-pallet capacity.

“We offer plenty of choice for operators – we are a leading PBS trailer provider and are setting the standards in this area.

“We are the largest trailer manufacturer in the country and have a fantastic team behind us. The quality of our equipment is second to none. Ultimately, the whole team from management to staff has a customer-focused attitude and is shining brightly as we move forward.

“It’s been a year of uncertainty due to the fact that we’ve been in lockdown for 12 months but being in transport I think we’ve all been blessed. We look forward to continuing to support the industry as the industry has supported us. It’s great to be part of the Brisbane Truck Show and it’s good to see everyone prospering and doing well.”