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Opheusden-based Betuwe Plant B.V. has recently procured two custom-built Pacton sliding tarp trailers for the safe and efficient transportation of the wide variety of trees and shrubs the company supplies to international customers. Managing Director René Vissers: "Our regular driver André van Dam worked closely with Pacton to ensure that all our shared knowledge and experience is embedded in these trailers. No stone was left unturned."
A tree for every garden, that's the catchy slogan of O2Tree (www.o2-tree.com); a well-known label of the Betuwe Group. The company's 50 employees supply a wide variety of trees, ranging from field grown trees and multi-stemmed trees to solitary shrubs and conifers of all kinds, designs, shapes and sizes. The company cultivates most trees and shrubs itself, collecting them from specialised nurseries and supplying them to Dutch and foreign customers, including garden centres, landscapers, auctions, online shops or wholesalers.
Quarter century
Who better to design a new trailer than a trusted driver who's been with your company for the past 25 years? Betuweplant driver Andre van Dam, affectionately dubbed "one of the Mohicans" by René Visser has been with the company since day one. In October, Betuweplant will be celebrating its quarter century anniversary, but they've unwrapped their gifts - two beautiful Pacton trailers - early. Together with Pacton, Van Dam designed two trailers tailored to Betuweplant's every need.
Betuweplant has been hauling part of the group's trees and shrubs for 25 years, supported by regional transport companies including Crum from Opheusden and Selman Transport from Bemmel. The two new Pacton curtainsiders and the new Volvo FH5 aero tractor unit replace a box truck and trailer that Betuweplant previously used for transportation. The new trailers have one clear benefit, Vissers explains: "One tractor unit and two trailers have made our operations much more efficient. In the past, we could only start loading after the driver returned with the box truck, which meant the end of the day was always a very busy and stressful time. Now we always have a spare trailer, which we can pre-load while we wait for the other trailer to return. It's given our organisation a lot of peace of mind, not to mention the efficiency gains."
Durable quality
The two tri-axle, steered TBD.342.T-ELP1 tautliners are equipped with a D'hollandia underfold tailgate, with a lifting capacity of 2,500 kg. The 1.80-meter platform can be controlled from the cabin or by remote control. The trailers feature an extra-large stainless steel storage box to accommodate the batteries needed for the tailgate.
Both have a maximum length of 13.6 m and a gross axle weight of 15 tonnes, resulting in a rated gross vehicle weight of 42 tonnes in combination with the SAF air suspension and the three nine-tonne axles. The front axle can be lifted manually without using the EBS, while the middle axle is lifted automatically using the cabin-controlled EBS.
Tree hauling calls for high-quality lighting, which is why the trailers are equipped with 4 LED work lights, 2x8 yellow LED side lights, 2 Danish LED rear stalk lights, 2 wide LED marker lights at the front panel and 2 rear LED flashlights. The rearview camera was sourced from Orlaco Famos.
Extra attention was paid to the 28mm all-hardwood shiplapped trailer floor, due in part to the moisture left behind by clods and pots. The high-quality, durable floorboards are accompanied by a flat steel plate at the rear.
Full compartmentalisation and lashing options
Betuweplant transports individual trees as well as products on carts and pallets, which means it needs to be able to efficiently load all types of packaging. Every extra inch comes in handy, especially when you have to load or unload cargo through the side, hatch or sliding roof. To enable flexible lashing and compartmentalisation, the trailers feature four movable sliding stanchions on both sides, set as wide as possible to leave an internal width of at least 2.49 m. The edge profile has two sets of 19 lashing eyes (TÜV-certified up to 2.5 tonnes). Thanks to the sliding hood, which features a reinforced carapax tarp, the trailers can be loaded and unloaded from the top. On the inside, the lashing eyes are covered by a protective tarp to prevent damaging the tree tops during transportation.
Seven rows of spruce canopy boards can be placed at multiple heights from the floor, or possibly stacked 3-high at floor level. The trailers have one row of galvanized loadlok 5110 canopy boards, to be placed at 1,165 mm, as well as galvanized canopy boards on the left and right in the wheelbase.
Custom trailer
The two new Pacton trailers are also a sight for sore eyes, with the high-quality, Pacton-supplied PVC tarps featuring attractive, natural branding, along with UV coating and a quality guarantee.
With a satisfied smile, Vissers concludes: "We wanted to get every last detail right, because that's just how we work. With Pacton, we found exactly the custom trailers we had been looking for. They helped us map out how we use and deploy our trailers and we built two new custom ones from the ground up, tapping into their valuable experience. We now have two highly maneuverable trailers that are easy to use for our drivers and offer a maximum of options for the safe loading, unloading and transportation of our live products."