Serco’s Optimises Load Capacity

Serco’s ability to meet customer challenges has resulted in the company designing a trailer to accommodate rails and beams sourced by Serco to enable loading a second row of pallets to a refrigerated trailer, giving a 60-pallet load capacity. The lightweight – yet highly durable – double stacking system can be used in both refrigerated and dry freight trailers, with the entire system adding just 640kg in weight to a vehicle.

Representatives from the refrigerated division of Imperial Logistics (ILRS) approached Serco to develop a trailer to facilitate the stacking of pallets. The challenge was that with the conventional 30-pallet refrigerated trailer, the full load space was not being fully utilised due to the fragile nature of the specific loads which prevented stacking to maximum height.

Serco Managing Director, Clinton Holcroft, explained that when certain products are stacked, the weight from those on top often causes damage to the products below.

“In that event there’s a limit to how high you can stack the stock, which results that the vehicle’s interior load space is not fully used. “For Imperial Logistics Refrigerated Services the system now allows them to pack almost to the roof, providing maximum use of the internal space.

Basically the system comprises rails fitted vertically to the specially reinforced sidewalls of the trailer with movable aluminium bars across which the pallets are placed.

“The aluminium bars can be adjusted to the required height to allow flexibility for pallets of different heights. The top level is fully self-supporting and able to carry up to 1 000kg across the span of each beam.”

With increasing fuel costs, this innovative solution enables transporters to optimise load fill and reduce running costs.