Schmitz Cargobull aims to double its UK & Ireland market share in the next five years. How do you plan to do this?
With the opening of our new plant in Manchester, we are busy ramping up production with the aim of manufacturing in excess of 2,000 units in the next financial year to cater to the specific needs of the UK and Ireland markets. With the S.BO PACE, S.CS FIXED ROOF and S.CS FREEPOST, we have our strongest ever product portfolio in the UK.
Crucially, we are seeing growing market demand and great customer feedback for these products, which have a range of added features and benefits that are not available elsewhere.
How important is the recently-launched S.CS FREEPOST for the UK market?
The S.CS FREEPOST has been specially developed to meet the requirements of the UK and Irish markets, without the need for sliding posts. It is not made anywhere else within Schmitz Cargobull’s global production operations. The curtainsider is a robust trailer with the ultimate in operating efficiency and safety, providing a range of benefits to haulage businesses and logistics operators.
It offers quick, easy and safe side loading by incorporating a bolted galvanised steel cant rail and fixed aluminium roof sheet as well as a reinforced chassis structure.
Tell us about the new factory in Manchester and what this means for UK customers?
Our decision to relaunch manufacturing in the UK followed an intensive study. The realisation was that it is important to have a more domestic approach to the market to provide high specification trailers tailored to customers’ needs. We also recognised that our customers in the UK and Ireland have a real need for sustainable transport solutions.
Manchester’s central location allows for efficient distribution of our trailers. The city’s rich manufacturing and industrial heritage, well-developed business environment, wealth of a skilled labour force and excellent transportation infrastructure make it the perfect location for our factory.
This heritage provides Schmitz Cargobull with access to specialised suppliers, manufacturing expertise, and a supportive ecosystem for industrial operations. Being located in close proximity to research institutions and innovation clusters, allows us to foster collaboration and offers access to cutting-edge technologies, all of which are benefitting customers in the production of our innovative trailers.
Any details about the new Schmitz Cargobull tippers about to enter the market?
Schmitz Cargobull tippers, market leaders in Europe and have become the well-established benchmark on the Continent, are being launched in the UK. This is the first time the transport industry has been able to purchase a UK-specified Schmitz Cargobull tipper, which comes with an on-board weigher integrated with the telematics system.
Can you tell us more about the galvanised chassis and TrailerConnect telematics system products?
The zinc coating of the galvanised chassis acts as a barrier to protect the underlying metal from exposure to corrosive elements, providing maximum durability and longevity throughout its entire service life. The galvanised and bolted components of the MODULOS semi-trailer frame offer increased load-bearing capacity, with a 10% higher distributed load. The repair-friendly MODULOS chassis comes with a 10-year guarantee against rust-through.
Our TrailerConnect is quite something. It’s installed as standard in all trailers, and we currently have 100,000 active telematics systems. It enables seamless connectivity for transparency in the supply chain, increasing efficiency and sustainability and reducing the total cost of ownership. TrailerConnect holds all the necessary information about your trailer, from real-time monitoring of vehicle performance to precise location tracking and cargo condition checking.
Schmitz Cargobull is fast becoming one of the most advanced and requested trailer telematics systems. The goal is to be market leaders in telematics functionality and to be completely transparent and collaborate with other data providers to offer secured data sharing to all fleet operators.
Colin Maher, MD for Schmitz Cargobull, UK and Ireland
