Recent Entries

We have recently launched a dedicated fleet management service for our expanding customer base.

After recently winning a contract with Premier Foods, the biggest food manufacturer in the UK, to supply a fleet management service for its double deck trailer fleet, through Cartwright Rentals for its Hovis brand.

Cartwright Rentals manage the maintenance for customers such as Premier Foods through its fleet management service, in this case Premier Foods' double deck trailers. Premier Foods has recently agreed a two year contract with us.

The service is managed through the Cartwright Rentals web portal which is bespoke to each customer and a satellite of our main Cartwright web portal.

We have also won a major fleet management contract to handle the maintenance of over 150 trailers for a major high street retailer from April 1st.

The Cartwright IT-based Rentals operation was launched in April 2007 focussing on spot rental and we are confident that the new fleet management service will add growth. Last year Rentals enjoyed a 12 per cent increase in business.

The bespoke web portal for customers through our fleet management system offers a total solution to the maintenance requirements of customer's trailer fleet operators from servicing to MOTs and compliance.

We have invested substantially in developing our web portal service, which has been praised by our existing customers.

The launch of our new fleet management service is a major step forward for our Rentals operation in terms of adding value to our major customers.

Our web portal is a bespoke, live 24 hour service which can be accessed at different levels, within an organisation, providing electronic fleet documentation, specifications, including service records, MOT, LLoer records, costs and KPI's from any location, within seconds at the press of a button.

We currently have over 50 Cartwright Rental customers on our web portal and we are keen to have all customers using this facility. We believe it will be one of our growth areas in 2011.

After months of development the Cheetah Fastback is one of the most exciting trailers we have produced.

The idea and design comes direct from listening to our customer's requirements for a trailer that helps reduce carbon emissions and escalating fuel costs, whilst dimensionally being able to operate in a general fleet.

The Fastback features a straight line conventional roof at the front of the trailer, with the rear fifty percent of the trailer roof tapered.

This corresponds to the chassis 'wedge' design, which enables us to maintain internal cubic capacity.

The trailer is available as van, curtainsider or fridge design.

When presented on a loading bay the high lift air suspension of the trailer is automatically lifted to suit the loading bay height by a simple push/pull valve in the rear frame.

A new side guard design has also been fitted, keeping to the original Cheetah test principals of letting the air flow under the chassis and out through the rear.

All the latest design improvements on the Fastback are a net result of our new in house 'CFD' (computational fluid dynamics) programme.

This new design tool for trailer and bodywork design, utilising 'CFD' is extremely exciting. The Fastback is the first product result, but other products and innovations are to follow as we endeavour to design and manufacture low carbon, energy efficient road transport products.

We are delighted to confirm that we are manufacturing increasing numbers of Cheetah products to help reduce our customer's fuel costs and lower their carbon footprint.

We are also pleased to see our competitors follow our lead in presenting their own versions of aerodynamic solutions however we are confident that the Cheetah trailer remains the most fuel efficient and cost effective trailer design currently available.

There has been recent confusion in the industry caused by an inaccurate report posted on the Department for Transport website, which we intend to resolve when we meet up with their representatives in February.

In the meantime we would like to assure our current and prospective customers of the key facts relating to the Cheetah Aerodynamic Trailer as follows:-

• The Cheetah range of products is being continually developed utilising our unique in house computational fluid dynamic systems in addition to fuel trials at MIRA and wind tunnel test work utilising scaled models. Therefore future products will be yet more fuel efficient as our development programme is continuous and to date still remains the only government sponsored project focussing on HGV articulated vehicle fuel savings.
• The only aerodynamic trailer that has been specifically designed following 1/10 and 4/10 model making and wind tunnel testing to validate aerodynamic performance at MIRA.
• The only aerodynamic trailer that has been independently track and road tested by an independent body over a 10 month period, this being the longest and most extensive test ever.
• The Cheetah aerodynamic trailer has been saving fuel and reducing CO² emissions since 1990, there are in excess of 2,500 currently in operation.
• Following many back to back independent and customer tests against competitors in the market, the Cheetah has produced better and repeatable fuel savings.
• The Cheetah aerodynamic trailer due to its more conventional shape is suitable for low height operations and continental routing where the height limit is only 4m, this contrasts with other types, which are taller and have longer journey times due to having to avoid low bridges and are not suitable for Continental operations.
• The Cheetah aerodynamic trailer is the lightest aerodynamic trailer on the market, therefore producing yet further fuel savings, higher payload and faster average speeds particularly on inclines leading to shorter journey times and increased fleet efficiency.
• The Cheetah aerodynamic trailer is economic to manufacture so its capital cost is low. In addition as it is a more conventional shape its residual value is stronger. This also means the weekly lease cost for a Cheetah trailer is significantly lower than our competitors, resulting in considerably lower whole life operating costs.
• The Cheetah aerodynamic trailer is more economic to repair due to its more conventional design and is suitable for use in urban areas due to its lower overall height.
• In addition to straight frame types the Cheetah Aerodynamic Trailer is available as a double deck trailer which produces a lower carbon footprint due to the higher volume delivered.