Case study
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Chester-based Dave Woodall runs five Oaf 95XFs antics and a drawbar delivering mainly to Scotland, including the Highlands and islands. Self-unloading is handled by two Kooi truck-mounted forklifts, rear-hung, on Schmidt curtainsided trailers modified by the trailer builder to accommodate them.
"They're bringing in extra work from existing customers who need a selfunload delivery and giving us new work from people who see Dave's advertisement," says driver Conrad Manuel.
The company makes an additional charge for forklift delivery —and customers are willing to pay it, making it easy to justify the additional outlay needed to fit and run the forklifts.
The loss of payload, about two tonnes with the larger (1 .25t) model, is more than compensated for by the additional work. "We're out every week with the forklifts," says Manuel. Apart from the loss of payload the other downside resulting from rear mounting the forklifts is the need for a threeaxle tractor to achieve traction. Twoaxle tractors were tried, he reports, but not successfully.