Increase in profitability for HGV companies

SOMI Trailers, based in Scunthorpe, have developed two new trailers which could reduce the number of HGV trucks on the road by almost a third.

Each one can carry around 31 per cent additional load, without being either longer or higher, hence the name SOMI, which stands for Same Outside More Inside.  The trailers fit inside traditional trucks and loading bays so there is no need to modify existing plants or vehicles, which is great news for HGV companies.

In addition, it is claimed they also have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions and congestion as well as raising profitability per journey.  Increased profitability is good news for HGV drivers as many companies have been struggling in the current economic climate.

Pauline Dawes, founder and managing director of SOMI Trailers, said:

“Our trailers use the four-metre long space normally left empty beneath the trailer between the king pin and rear axles.  The trailers enable four standard HGV journeys to be replaced with just three which saves £120,000 a truck/year with a corresponding reduction in CO2 of 400 tonnes and a return on investment in under 18 months.”

The Stage Loading Trailer makes use of load bars to add an extra layer of pallets over those lowered into the space below, and a second design, the SOMI Auto Lifting Trailer, can be loaded without the use of a fork-lift. The core technology behind the new trailer uses an air bag which can raise 8 tonnes per deck.

A self-levelling system that can evenly raise up to 8 tonnes in spite of unequal weight distribution, as well as the air bag, was developed and patented.  In total, seventeen patents were granted so far for the entire project.

The trailer has been designed using the same principles applied to F1 cars, including aerodynamic efficiency and the ability to transfer forces from one part to another.

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