British turkey farming company Bernard Matthews Farms is completing its transition to a 100 per cent Schmitz Cargobull refrigerated fleet with the arrival of eight new trailers from the manufacturer – four of which feature the company’s striking new ‘Lean on Turkey’ livery.
The fully integrated turkey producer – which operates farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire – said it has gradually converted its fleet to Schmitz Cargobull over the last seven years due to competitive pricing and an ability for the trailers to stand up to the rigours of its demanding transport operations.
“Our fleet is really put through its paces on a daily basis,” said Jeffrey Helmore, transport manager at Bernard Matthews. “This requires equipment which not only copes with our gruelling schedules, but has the longevity to perform as well on day one as it does two, three or even seven years down the line.
“Regularly maintaining and servicing a fleet is all well and good, but if the initial product isn’t up to scratch in the first place, it means very little. With Schmitz Cargobull we get a good solid trailer, and that’s why we keep coming back for more,” he added.
The eight new trailers – each equipped with Vector 1550 mono-temperature refrigeration units from Carrier Transicold – join Bernard Matthews’ 33-strong reefer fleet and will be deployed between its production facilities in Norfolk and Suffolk, and its distribution centres to transport both fresh meat as well as frozen and chilled finished products.
“A big gain for us is the Ferroplast panelling unique to Schmitz Cargobull equipment. We’ve had experiences before with competitor products where the outer skin of a trailer has been pierced and water has seeped in,” Helmore said. “This has resulted in water soaking into the insulation and reducing the efficiency of the trailer – also leading to an increase in the trailer’s unladen weight.”
“We don’t get this problem with Schmitz Cargobull equipment, and that’s a big advantage to us as the integrity of the products we carry is critical.”
Schmitz Cargobull’s Ferroplast panels use high-quality expanded, closed cell, polyurethane foam housed between steel skins and make use of all the advantages steel can offer. The multiple-coated steel skin is impervious to vapour intrusion and remains as sealed as only metal can be – despite being ultra-thin. Unlike fibreglass-reinforced plastic, steel doesn’t become brittle or develop cracks.
Helmore said he anticipates the new trailers will remain on the Bernard Matthews fleet for the next seven years.
