Royal Mail has marked the 20th anniversary of introducing a prototype Lifting Deck semi-trailer to its fleet with a significant order from long-standing supplier Don-Bur.
The deal covers 261 trailers, including 160 Lifting Deck trailers, 50 box vans equipped with retractable tail-lifts and 51 trailers configured for dock loading.
Don-Bur built a one-off Lifting Deck prototype for Royal Mail in 2006, and the postal operator has since become one of the UK’s largest users of the design. The latest order will see a further 160 Lifting Deck trailers enter service this year, marking two decades of development in the technology.
The latest-generation trailers can accommodate up to 95 roll cages across two decks, helping Royal Mail maximise load capacity and make more efficient use of available space. The hydraulically operated upper deck provides 46 roll-cage positions, with a further 49 on the lower deck.
The lifting deck design allows the available load space to be used more effectively, increasing the number of roll cages that can be carried on each journey and supporting the movement of mail through Royal Mail’s distribution network.
Steve Warren, Royal Mail fleet engineer, said: “Lifting Deck trailers have become an important part of the Royal Mail fleet, allowing us to make effective use of the available load volume and increase the number of roll cages carried on each journey.
“The design has evolved considerably over the last twenty years and the latest trailers continue that development.”
Don-Bur key accounts manager Jon Davis added: “We’re proud to continue our long-standing relationship with Royal Mail through another significant UK-built trailer programme.
“Seeing 160 new Lifting Decks enter the fleet twenty years after the original prototype is a particularly satisfying milestone.”
