Family-owned company Pultrum, based in Rijssen, is a versatile logistics service provider with more than 60 years’ experience. Today, the company's main operations consist of national and international transport, exceptional transport and construction logistics. Pultrum specialises in smart logistics solutions and has recently added two brand-new Pacton semi-low loaders with curtainsider bodies and provision for a truck-mounted forklift to his fleet. Jille Pultrum: “The demand for robust, customised trailers comes from the market, from our customers. As a transport company, we have to make sure our fleet responds to that demand.”

Pultrum operates a large, modern fleet of around 100 trucks and 280 semi-trailers, which are on the road for customers every day, throughout Europe. The Pultrum fleet also includes trucks fitted with loading cranes and a wide range of trailers, enabling the Rijssen-based transport company to provide a flexible solution for virtually any situation. Volvo Electric trucks are also used for regional work.

40 years of trust

The two new Pacton semi-low loaders were purchased to expand the fleet in response to Pultrum’s growing and increasingly varied transport assignments. The two Pacton trailers will be used to transport general cargo and, in particular, tall window frames, high machinery and forklifts. Pacton was already a familiar name in Pultrum’s day-to-day operations, as almost a quarter of the company’s trailers come from the Dutch trailer manufacturer in Ommen.  The fact that Ommen and Rijssen are near neighbours is an undeniable advantage. It makes communication straightforward, and when it comes to service, maintenance, questions or issues, the other party is always close at hand.

For Jille Pultrum, however, their proximity was not the deciding factor. “The close ties between Pacton and Pultrum go back some 40 years. Pacton supplies robust trailers and custom solutions built entirely around our wishes and the requirements of our operations. That reliability is beyond question. That being said, not having to travel halfway across the country to find a good trailer builder is also a big advantage.”

Customisation was the key priority for Pultrum in this latest purchase. “With a maximum internal height of 3.10 metres, within an overall height of 4 metres, and a pneumatically operated piggyback forklift mounting system, the construction of these semi-low loaders involved a number of challenges. In addition, the trailers have been built to our specifications with UNP channels, combined with a widenable rear portal, for loading rolling equipment.”

Maximum robustness

The new semi-low loaders, Pacton type SXD.345.T-DEKNP1, have a fifth-wheel height of 96 cm. Their internal height is 290 cm on the neck and 310 cm in the lower section. With a total axle load of 30 tonnes and a kingpin load of 15 tonnes, the gross permitted weight comes to 45 tonnes. The chassis have been additionally reinforced for forklift loading, including a crossmember situated 200 mm from the rear. The forklift is positioned using a pneumatically operated system. Special cabling has been fitted for charging the electric forklift, in line with Terberg/Moffett specifications.

The robust semi-trailers were supplied by Pacton with a type XL Ladungssicherung-certificate for 27 tonnes. This was made possible by the reinforced bodywork, including the front wall, rear portal, rear doors and stakes, as well as additional horizontal straps in the curtains and a reinforced roof sheet. Thanks to Pacton, Pultrum now has a highly robust and durable trailer at its disposal. After welding, the entire chassis was grit-blasted and then fully spray-galvanised. The high-quality finish consists of a two-component primer and two-component chassis paint.

Widenable

The mechanical landing gear from Jost Modul has a capacity of 2x 12,000 kg, with two speeds and slide-tilt feet. The BPW air suspension system comprises two fixed axles and one self-steering trailing axle. The trailing axle is equipped with BPW Active Reverse Control, without remote control. The front axle has a manually operated axle lift with automatic lowering. The trailers are fitted with twin wheels and Goodyear 245/70 R 17.5 KmaxT tyres, and are equipped with Wabco Transics fleet management and TPMS. The axles are also fitted with the BPW AirSave tyre-pressure monitoring and inflation system, ensuring correct tyre pressure at all times.

The semi-low loaders are extensively equipped with LED lighting, including work lights, side marker lights, stalk lights, wide-beam lights and beacons. A lashing rail profile is installed along the centre line of the Trentwood Bamboo trailer floor, together with twelve stake pockets. The edge profile also contains two sets of twelve stake pockets, aligned with those on the centre line. The XL rear portal is made of steel and fitted with two flat aluminium overlay rear doors. The rear pillars can be manually extended by around 45 cm on both the left and right. Three Hestal Variomaster 901 sliding stakes have been installed on each side, one on the neck and two behind the gooseneck, all of which are height-adjustable.

Liftable roof

The sliding lift roof can be opened towards the front or rear and is finished with a white Carapax Kevlar-aramid roof sheet. The roof can be raised by 45 cm and is mechanically operated using a lever pump, with each corner raised individually. The roof is also designed to allow the trailer to be driven with the roof raised by up to 10 cm. The sliding curtains are made from high-grade 2 x 2 double-thread PVC tarp, 890 g/m². Further details include aluminium side underrun protection, aluminium air tanks, a folding steel rear bumper, TÜV-certified lashing eyes, strap slots and lashing hooks. A stake rack has been installed on the right-hand side in the wheelbase. On the left-hand side in the wheelbase, there are two stainless steel toolboxes. Pultrum concludes:  “With these new Pacton semi-low loaders, we can meet our customers' every need. They were designed around their requirements. In many cases, we even take our customers’ wishes a little further than the original request, so that we can build a fleet that is as multifunctional and versatile as possible.”