A PAIR OF ROBUST FLOOR SEMI-TRAILERS FOR SOLINES
21 January 2020
The new pair of beautifully finished, yet robust Floor semi-trailers for the well-known steel pipes supplier Solines from Moerdijk is focused on the fixation of the heavy loads. The triaxial flatbed trailers of the type FLO-18-27F1 were custom made by Pacton Trailers from Ommen.
Solines has been an international supplier of surplus steel pipes, profile pipes and downgraded batches for more than 30 years. It is not without reason that Solines has its own logistical department if one considers the enormous supply consisting of 40 000 tonnes of steel piping divided over warehouse spaces in Moerdijk and Dortmund. Solines Welding & Construction provides custom work, like customised cutting, bevel cutting, belling and welding of steel pipes.
The two new Pacton/Floor semi-trailers have been acquired to expand on the current fleet of Solines. The fleet consists entirely of semi-trailers of which they have 20. In addition, Solines has mobile cranes to their disposal for their own internal logistics which includes two revolutionary Sennebogen magnetic cranes and terminal trucks. Seven of their own semi-trailers are of the Floor/Pacton brand. Solines explains that they give priority to the combination of reliability and low weight, ensuring a high payload of about 3,600 kg.
Maximum fixation
The finely finished semi-trailers for Solines are 13,16 m in length and have TUV certified bulkheads of 1,80 m in height. With a maximum load on the king pin of 18,000 kg and total axle load of 27,000 kg a gross vehicle weight of 45,000 kg is realised. The axle bogie consists of a BPW air suspension with drum brakes. Custom accessories include a stainless steel box on both sides of the axle bogie, lashing rings in the side raves, double stake pockets in the side raves and support for stanchions on both sides, six rows of stanchions across, rope hooks, central lubrication, an extendable long load marker, aluminium air reservoirs and a hubodometer among others. The whole chassis has been grit blasted and then thermal spray coated and painted with two-component primer and finished off with a two-component paint in the bright blue colours of Solines. Solines adds that a true Solines semi-trailer typically has a high bulkhead, robust side raves, a large number of clamping strap hooks, high stanchions and numerous stanchion holes not only in the length but also across the width. He explains that this is necessary to optimally fixate the load for safe transportation.
Switch system
Solines has 50 employees in total, divided between Moerdijk and Dortmund. Road transportation between both locations as well as to customers is tended to by Brouwer from Nieuwegein, their preferred transporter as well as a couple of other logistical service providers. Solines works and Brouwer works with an efficient switch system where fully loaded semi-trailers are traded for empty semi-trailers in the evenings. In the case where customer demands peak, a few of Brouwer’s semi-trailers are also deployed.
Solines says that up-to-date semi-trailers are of the utmost importance for conducting their business. The new Floor semi-trailers from Pacton are fully operational already. He continues to say that they have placed a new order at Pacton for two semi-trailers to be used on their own terrain for internal use.