Striking moving floor LHV designed by Kraker Trailers for Bowie the LHV leads to more efficient and sustainable transportation

Volume and weight are leading

The use of LHVs offers new possibilities for the transport sector. One of the companies immediately seizing the opportunities of an LHV is Bowie. For Bowie, Kraker Trailers designed an LHV with moving floor, that is remarkable in all respects.

Bowie (with a history of over 60 years in the transport of building materials and the processing and logistics of waste flows) is convinced of the power of innovation, which is one of the reasons they chose a Kraker LHV with moving floor. In the Netherlands, an LHV may be used to drive vehicles with a maximum volume of 150 m3 and a maximum train weight of 60 tons. The maximum length of an LHV combination is 25.25, compared to the current standard of 18,75m. All this together, enables an LHV to transport up to an addition 50% of load during one ride.
The LZV designed by Kraker Trailers is composed as follows: an 8m long loading tray is mounted onto a short telescopic frame with two widespread axles and a fifth wheel. At Kraker Trailers we call this component the link. A 13.6 m long moving floor trailer can be attached to the fifth wheel coupling of the telescopic frame.
“An LHV contributes to Socially Responsible Entrepreneur-ships” explains Roel Bontrup, commercial director of Bowie, “and that is something that has great priority at Bowie. The demand for sustainability is increasing. Not only sustainability of resources or end products, but also regarding the transportation of goods. What is the method of transportation?”. Bowie answers that question for sustainability by the deployment of an LHV among other things. “Within our company we have calculated the consequences of an LHV for the finances of the company.” We don’t leave anything to chance. The company has an internal think tank for instance, which is continuously investigating the corporate processes and the material. “What could we improve, not only in terms of return, but also in terms of sustainability when it concerns driver comfort. Innovation, that is the key factor within Bowie.”

Partnership results in “finished” vehicles
Jan Tauber (manager at Bowie’s) is positive about the quality of Krakers moving floor trailers. Sometimes, coincidences play a role, as demonstrated by Taubers story about the beginning of the partnership with Kraker Trailers, about five years ago.
“I currently live in Limburg, but my roots are in Zeeland Flanders. My family comes from this part of the Netherlands and had a transport company for generations. Touring across the roads of Zeeland Flanders, I passed Kraker Trailers. I stopped and checked the trailers ready for delivery on the parking lot.
I immediately noticed details in the finishing that were different and better than with moving floor trailers of other manufacturers. After a tour through the Axel factory given by owner/director Jan de Kraker I was convinced of the expertise and quality of Kraker Trailers”. Jan Tauber discussed his findings within Bowie and the partnership was established by ordering 4 moving floor trailers. Close consultation with salesman Rico Koops followed, from order to delivery. “The collaboration with Jan and Rico is a big plus for me”, Tauber proceeds, “they say what they do and they do what they say. They are not afraid to admit the fields in which they can improve, and they actually use the input we provide.”
The contact between Bowie and Kraker Trailers remained and when Jan Tauber saw an LHV of Kraker Trailers for the Scandinavian market, he phoned Rico. “Bowie has asked Kraker Trailers to develop an LHV that meets the demands of Bowie.”
An LHV also should meet a number of legal requirements.
Because Kraker Trailer has fitted the Bowie LHV with a trailing axle on the link frame all requirements regarding the path to be covered are met as well.

Consistent government policy
The deployment of the LHV leads to more efficient and sustainable transportation. However, the benefits of the LHV are not yet sufficiently recognized in all European countries: only in Scandinavia, and now also in the Netherlands, these vehicles are used on a structural basis. In Belgium and Germany, LHVs are used by means of a trial, whereas the UK and Austria have permanently decided not to allow long, heavy vehicles. In order to grant an LHV its maximum return, it is important to have the benefits acknowledged by the countries surrounding us. In this respect, Bowie is making some serious efforts: the company is continuously shedding light on the advantages of the LHV, especially in Germany at biomass plants and chipboard factories.

Striking appearance
The LZV of Bowie can’t be missed. Not only because of its length, but also because of the typical Bowie color. “The lettering of the combination puts even more emphasis on the responsibility Bowie feels and takes as a company regarding sustainable entrepreneurship.”