Harris distribution system
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• Harris (Ipswich) Ltd.. part if the FMC Group, inaugurated a distribution system this month when the first of its t new AEC Mandator /Hands Bonallack refriç erated articulated outfits left Ipswich with a load of pies and other meat food products fo the Faversham redistribution centre.
The new system has been developed in .conjunction with Marks and Spencer for supplying some of their stores from the Faversham depot.
Five smaller vehicles have been replaced by the two articulated outfits, each of which has a payload of about 20 tons. Plastics trays of a new design carry the products and these are loaded on Unitainer pallets which are wheeled direct into the vehicle. Loading of ach vehicle takes one man 30 minutes and urhloading can
be accomplished in only 20min.
Besides the savings made by reducing vehicles and drivers, considerable cost reductions have resulted from using the returnable trays instead of one-trip cardboard boxes which are unhygienic and also difficult to dispose of after use.
The tractive units are AEC Mandators powered by the AV 760 engine driving through a six-speed overdrive gearbox and are rated for 32 tons g.c.w. The semi-trailers are 38ft Bonallack Coldsaver insulated bodies mounted on Hands tandem-axle Neway running gear. Peiter Thermo King M2OD refrigeration units are fitted to the fronts of the semi-trailer bodies.
The vehicles are operated by Blue Rosette (Transport) Ltd., a separate company within the FMC organization.