P&S Logistics specifies Schmitz Cargobull box body

Cold chain carrier, P&S Logistics, has taken delivery of a rigid truck fitted with a Schmitz Cargobull M.KO COOL box body.

The bespoke vehicle was designed and built over the course of 15 months – a process that owner-operator Phillip Hudson describes as a labour of love.

Hudson embarked on the upgrade of the 26-tonne vehicle with the aim of maximising the flexibility of his Middlesex-based European food distribution operations.

Built by Schmitz Cargobull in Lithuania, the refrigerated box body M.KO COOL was shipped to the UK and equipped with Carrier Transicold’s Supra 1150 MT (multi-temperature) unit and ECO-DRIVE power module. It was fitted with a tail-lift sourced from Germany, with additional truck specifications including Kelsa light bars, safety cameras and interior equipment. The rigid was finished with a hand-painted livery, in original designs to reflect different aspects of the business.

Hudson also operates a Schmitz Cargobull drawbar reefer, equipped with a Carrier Transicold Supra 1050 unit. The ECO-DRIVE is able to run both the truck fridge and the trailer cooling unit electrically off the truck engine’s power take-off.

The drawbar was built to the same high specification as the rigid truck, featuring Schmitz Cargobull’s proven Ferroplast side panels, which are stronger yet thinner than Glass-Reinforced Plastic (GRP) bodywork – helping to increase the loading aperture inside the body.

“What I have is very rare,” said Hudson.

“I wanted to create something highly-specced which stands out from the crowd that I can use for the long-term. With the technology fitted, the truck and drawbar meet all the regulations, which has future-proofed my business.”

This box body has three different temperature zones for ambient, chilled and frozen goods.

“If I have work that only requires a 26-tonne truck, or there are weight restrictions, I can just park the drawbar,” said Hudson. “The bespoke, mechanically operated tail-lift also enables easy and quick loading and unloading of pallets by electric pump trucks.”

Used primarily to transport Slovakian food, the rigid has been liveried with the country’s flag, with the cab painted with images of London where Hudson was born. The rear doors, designed with Hudson’s Polish wife in mind, feature the Wawel Dragon from Polish folklore as well as the country’s flag.

P&S Logistics’ relationship with Schmitz Cargobull dates back more than five years. The company first supplied Hudson with a rigid reefer in 2016 to help him expand his business operations.

In other news, Schmitz Cargobull subsidiary, Cargobull Parts & Services GmbH, has appointed a new Director for Parts and Sales.

Christian Renfordt.
Christian Renfordt.

Christian Renfordt has accepted the role and has been working in the automotive aftermarket space since 2002. He will be responsible for sales, product management and pricing of international spare parts.

Renfordt has already put a number of initiatives in place to ensure efficient spare parts logistics, in addition to expanding the product and service portfolio with attractive pricing.

“Quality spare parts, easy identification of spare parts and high availability are important for our customers,” he said. “In the event of a repair, the trailer must be back on the road quickly. Because only a running trailer is successful and profitable.”

Cargobull Parts & Services GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Schmitz Cargobull AG. In the aftersales area, it takes care of all the needs of customers and their vehicles throughout Europe.

Last month, Schmitz Cargobull invested in an Australian operation.

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