Trailerloda gives airfreight operators extra options
Joloda Hydraroll has announced a new Pneumatic Roller Track (PRT) system for the airfreight industry. Called Trailerloda, the new low-profile, stand-alone system can be quickly and easily installed into a standard trailer – either new or in-service. Importantly, it offers airfreight operators added options to buy, hire, contract or operate standard box trailers, curtainsiders or reefers, as an alternative to long lead time, high cost, bespoke-build units – or to respond to seasonal peaks or sudden demand.
Trailerloda can be installed into an existing unit without the need for any modification of the chassis or flooring. Typical installation time is twelve hours – based on two fitters working together for six hours. This is a 75% reduction on the traditional, integrated ‘in-build’ installation time, which normally takes two men up to four days. Removal time for the new system is similarly shortened – to approximately eight hours, based on two fitters working together for four hours.
The total weight of the new system for a 13.6 metre trailer is approximately 1435kg – and the weight including a typical existing trailer floor, approximately 1935kg. This compares with the weight of a conventionally installed PRT in-floor system of 1775kg. Thus, payload penalty between the two is marginal – and also, there is no price penalty between the in-build kit and the cost of the new Trailerloda system.
Trailerloda is designed for self-assembly and simply clips together with flexible plastic joints. A typical standard 13.6 metre system is built in four sections, each 2438mm wide and mounted directly onto the trailer floor. All four sections incorporate five lanes of roller track, three sections at 3.2 metres long and one at 3.7 metres.
Trailerloda utilises Hydraroll MK21 roller track – still the preferred standard in the airfreight industry, not least because of its twin roller design. The MK21 track also provides greater manoeuvrability of ULD’s inside the trailer and it is easier to drive fork trucks, or move pallet trucks and cages, due to smaller apertures in the top plate. The smaller apertures also help to prevent debris falling through into the underfloor area – and the enclosed channel design also protects the airbags from potential damage. This feature actually reduces maintenance compared with a traditional roller track installation.
Trailerloda is also available in MK4 PRT, which utilises a 2” diameter and 2” long roller. Load capacity of both MK21 and MK4 is 550kg/metre of track, making load capacity for an installed Trailerloda floor assembly 2750kg/metre. An added safety feature is that the top plates of the MK21 track are coated with polyurethane, to give a non-slip surface for the ULD once the rollers are down.
Between the roller tracks, special aluminium floor plates clip together with a plastic extrusion – and then clip into the main channels of the roller tracks with galvanised steel wedges. The floor section is then bolted or screwed down to the existing floor of the trailer through aluminium angles which slide into the floor planks.
An end stop assembly, manufactured from a steel channel with a heavy steel base, is bolted to the door end of the trailer. The end stop assembly has built-in flip-up pallet stops and heavy duty impact rollers.
The roller tracks are piped up from one side to the other, through a Quick Exhaust Valve (QEV) and then the pipes are led down one side of the section to the next. The air pipes from all four sections are then routed through the floor of the vehicle to a Hydraroll air control box, which is connected to a single Pressure Protection Valve (PPV) air receiver from the trailer’s suspension.
Vanloda … safe option for ‘Panic freight’ operators
The collection and handling of late pick-ups and panic airfreight consignments is set to become easier and safer following Joloda’s introduction of a new variant of its Vanloda rollerbed system for panel vans and light commercials. The system, which is rated for 600kg per metre, is designed to load and unload pallets, cage pallets, stillages, post pallets or slipsheets up to 1000kg in weight – all in less than a minute.
The patented Vanloda system comes in two sections – a master unit, which is 2.2 metres long, plus an extension piece to suit specific wheelbase applications. The bed comprises a pneumatically operated rise and fall rollerbed, powered by a 12-volt compressor – which is simply plugged into the lighter socket in the van.
From a Health and Safety perspective, the Vanloda system enables easy and safe handling of loads without the need for manual lifting inside the vehicle – and the operation can be achieved without the driver being inside the vehicle. The bed can be withdrawn to the rear of the vehicle on special slides for ease of loading by forklift truck or other handling equipment.
In transit, the rollers are in the ‘dead’ position and below floor level – and the bed also incorporates rear spring-loaded pallet stops. Additional safety features include a quick exhaust valve to ‘dump’ air from the system and automatic deactivation of the air operating valve via door closure.
The Vanloda system is self-contained and can be installed, removed or transferred between vehicles quickly and easily by the driver and without tools.
