ALE has expanded its global fleet of trailers and invested in the latest range of widening trailers that can be widened to 4.3m whilst loaded, making these the only trailers of their kind in the UK.

One of the main features is the lower imposed ground pressure achieved with an axle beam that is 30% longer and the axle spacing that is 10% greater than the industry standard. As the trailers widen out to 4.3m the weight is better spread and the load is distributed more effectively. With an overall lower imposed ground pressure, these trailers are more inclined to achieve route clearance compared to other trailers.

As the shortest possible routes can be taken and more routes available, more direct routes can be used and less time will be spent on public roads, meaning congestion and disruption is reduced.

The trailers are expected to be recognised as a more favourable solution for bridge owners and local authorities as the wider distribution of axle weight and gross load over the structure will result in less stress on the bridge and bearings. By mitigating these issues, it minimises wear and tear and ultimately results in lower maintenance costs for bridge owners and local authorities. As they can be widened whilst loaded they will minimise street furniture removal. This is because they can run at 3.6m wide and only widen out when necessary.

“We wanted to update our existing fleet of trailers in the UK and took the opportunity to capture additional benefits. There was nothing on the market; we approached Goldhofer with a technical solution for a trailer that could be widened whilst loaded and they created an innovative solution that matched our requirements,” said Darren Adams, Director – UK.

“These new trailers can deliver on routes that others simply cannot, with increased efficiency and speed to get to site. These will prove a favourable alternative not only for the authorities with reduced maintenance costs and congestion on public roads, but for the clients as well, as less time is spent on finding alternative routes, meaning reduced engineering costs and less time spent on structural assessments.

“These trailers improve our routing database and offers a more time and cost effective solution overall for everyone involved in road transportation.” These new trailers will expand their current fleet of widening trailers already based in Australia and South Africa.

ALE has purchased 50 axle lines of these trailers and will be utilised for road transportation projects across the UK.