Cyril McGuinness, owner of the Rush, County Dublin-based haulier, was so impressed by the response to his enquiry and the subsequent knowledge demonstrated by Schmitz Cargobull Regional Sales Manager Philip Keenan at their first meeting, he increased his order from two to three trailers on the spot.
“I knew right there and then that I wanted to do business with Schmitz Cargobull. However, the competitive pricing of the trailers and the short production lead time offered at Manchester sealed the deal,” says McGuinness.
“The level of service throughout the process was fantastic, and if any issues arose, we were kept informed. Ultimately, we received the trailers that we wanted, on time, and with no messing about.”
The haulier specialises in hazardous waste transportation mainly in Ireland, complementing this with general haulage services in the Greater Dublin area, which is home to both an airport and major port. “It means we need flexibility with our trailers, as we can be heavy going one way but light on the return journey,” explains McGuinness.
Meeting these requirements, each S.CS FIXED ROOF semi-trailer has a straight front wall for free side loading and tarpaulin tensioning, a DIN EN 12642 Code XL load securing side curtain with standard anti-theft protection and a Schmitz Cargobull aluminium roof, which allows a side loading height of 2,700mm.
McGuinness also opted for additional 7,100kg heavy-duty flooring on the trailers, internal lighting to assist with loading and LED taillights. The trailers feature load securing lashing eyes down both sides of the side raves with roof straps – essential due to the nature of the firm’s work with many customers requiring chemical loads to be secured internally from the top of the trailer for safety.
Each unit has Schmitz Cargobull’s TrailerConnect® telematics as standard, which provides 24/7 monitoring of the trailer’s exact location.
Another attraction of the UK-spec trailers was that at 4.1m tall they are a better option for deliveries to many of the firm’s chemical customers, who often have gantries at their sites that taller equipment could strike.
“The environmental impact is also important to me, and these trailers will fit snug against the cabs reducing drag and making sure we’re not pushing air when we don’t need to be,” says McGuinness.
Setting up in 1991 as an owner-driver, McGuinness has grown his business to ten trucks, ten drivers and two office staff. Approaching a third of the firm’s 36 trailers feature the blue elephant with several second-hand Schmitz Cargobull curtainsiders in service. Headquartered in Rush, the business has a depot in nearby Balbriggan, County Dublin.