Since 2010, Staplehurst Transits has placed an order with Schmitz Cargobull in each of the following 15 years, relying on the quality of the trailers to ensure its time-critical fresh produce is delivered safely and on time 24/7.

Mick Philcox, Engineer at Staplehurst Transits, says: “I really can’t fault the product. They are extremely good and although we’ve had quotes from other manufacturers, Schmitz Cargobull has always come back with the right deal, and that’s why we’ve stuck with them.”

The mono-temp reefers are packed with Schmitz Cargobull technology to enhance safety and productivity. This includes Nexus Sliding Couplings to keep drivers safe and remove the need to enter the space between tractor cab and trailer. Staplehurst Transits has also specified Schmitz Cargobull running gear including 430mm disc brakes to make sure the reefers perform strongly whether on roads or farm tracks.

“As long as you put in the work and maintain them – and we only fit original parts across the fleet in our workshop – we feel discs are superior to drums. We get around 600,000km out of a set of discs and I never have a driver come to me and say, ‘the brakes aren’t very good’,” says Philcox.

The S.KO COOL reefers are equipped with an Electronic Brake Performance Monitoring System (EBPMS), which Schmitz Cargobull offers as a factory fit option. EBPMS enables hauliers to enhance road safety, reduce vehicle downtime, meet UK legislative compliance and save money [following DVSA guidance, trailers equipped with the system can reduce the number of required roller brake tests to just one annually, saving time and cost – Staplehurst’s approach is to conduct a brake test at every service, or when brake work is carried out].

EBPMS integrates seamlessly with Schmitz Cargobull’s TrailerConnect® telematics, which is fitted as standard to its reefers. It provides 24/7 monitoring of the trailer’s exact location, plus other important data including speed and axle load, initially on a two-year complementary basis.

Philcox is a huge fan of TrailerConnect®, which incorporates a tyre pressure monitoring system. “It’s brilliant. I can be at home and see the health of the tyres on my mobile. If there is a slow puncture I’ll receive an alert, and we can get it repaired before it fails and damages the trailer,” he says.

All reefers are constructed with Schmitz Cargobull’s proven FERROPLAST® technology, which combines the increased insulation of a polyurethane hard foam with a durable and resistant covering of multiple layers of coated metal. The result is a product without any thermal bridges that may affect cooling performance.

Built on the strong MODULOS bolted chassis, each reefer has a 10-year warranty against rust-through on all galvanised parts

The deal was facilitated by Benjamin Clayton, Regional Sales Manager (South) at Schmitz Cargobull. Staplehurst Transits has subsequently taken delivery of two Schmitz Cargobull ‘Skelly’ semi-trailers, the S.CF ALLROUND 20-45 container chassis will support its supermarket work.

Based near Tonbridge in Kent, Staplehurst Transits was established in 1973 as a man and a van business by Managing Director Colin Goldup. Today it collects, consolidates and delivers into national markets, and works with several supermarket chains.