The ‘London’ double stack container skel has entered its next stage, with trials underway on a world first B-triple at the Port of Brisbane.
The London B-triple combination is restricted to a limited network of private and public roads at the port.
Manufactured by O’Phee Trailers, a division of The Drake Group, the double stack skels were first unveiled at the Brisbane Truck Show in May.
Following trials, the trailers were put to work as a Super B-double combination capable of carrying four 40-foot, or eight 20-foot shipping containers at a time, stacked to a height of over seven metres.
This Super B-double combination also saw O’Phee Trailers take out the Product Innovation Award at the recent HVIA National Awards in November.
Now an additional third trailer has been added into the mix for what’s being dubbed ‘Project London Stage 2’.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) was onsite at the Port of Brisbane yesterday (December 13) to oversee trials of the London B-triple.
The NHVR, together with the trailer manufacturers, conducted on-site tilt tests of the combination.
“These tests evaluated the Static Rollover Threshold (SRT) performance of the vehicle by determining the magnitude of lateral acceleration required to subject a vehicle to roll-over,” explained the NHVR.
“Vehicle stability is a crucial component of operational safety, and the physical testing confirmed and validated the NHVR’s prediction of an excellent safety performance.”
The combination is also GPS monitored and subject to various strict speed limitations on turning and straight travel.
“As part of Project London Stage 2, the innovative combination is set to improve productivity whilst cutting costs and time for operators,” the NHVR added.
“Stacked to an Australian-first height of over 7 metres, the PBS innovation will bring a significant boost to productivity when transporting empty containers from facilities to vessels – saving both money and time for operators whilst ensuring the highest levels of safety.”