Seven-car carrier cuts weight
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/ A seven-car transporter drawbar outfit developed by Pickering's Transport Services of Thurmaston, Leicestershire is claimed to offer advantages in simplicity and running costs.
The 18m double-decker is based on a 5.55m wheelbase 11-tonne Mercedes-Benz 1117 rigid, close-coupled to a trailer with twin centre axles. The combination is plated at 21 tonnes GTW and weighs in at 10.7 tonnes unladen.
The trailer upper deck can be lifted electro-hydraulically to allow straight-through rear-end loading: an intermediate ramp on the lower deck is raised by jacks to support the second car.
The rig has been kept below 12 tonnes GVW to minimise vehicle excise duty. Pickering's says that an equivalent artic would cost five times as much to tax, and a heavier drawbar twice as much.
The seven-car transporter was designed to meet the needs of local operator Richard Attenborough Transport of Shepshed. Until now Pickering's has concentrated on models for three to five cars.