Canute Haulage has invested over GBP1 million in a forklift transporter fleet.

A new fleet of 11 custom-built forklift trailers will cover over 80,000 km (49,710 mi.) a year for Barloworld Handling's 17 regional support centres in the UK.

The new fleet represents an investment of over GBP1.2 million (USD2.0 million) by the forklift distributor's logistics partner, Canute Haulage, with each trailer featuring Barloworld Handling livery.

Notably, it is also repeat business for Andover Trailers. When the company was established in 1985, the first trailer it built was a forklift carrier for Barloworld Handling.

Each trailer will be used for delivering and collecting contract machines, as well as supporting Barloworld's short-term hire fleet, which has benefited from GBP6 million in new assets in the past 12 months.

Michael French, group fleet engineer at Canute Group, says: "The full height and full width power-toe ramps ensure a shallow loading angle, meaning we can accommodate even the lowest ground clearance warehouse equipment, whilst the sliding roof enables us to transport high-mast machines."

The sliding roof is an all-steel system, which was specifically chosen by Andover Trailers for its strength and durability, which allows it to withstand buffeting when travelling with the roof open.

The roof has four locking positions, giving Canute flexibility for loading high-mast trucks, while keeping as much of the trailer dry for other machines. The trailers also feature swing-out rear pillars to ensure Canute's drivers aren't restricted by the width of the doorframe when loading larger machines.

For safety, a reversing camera is linked to an in-cab monitor to aid manoeuvring, and the ramps can be operated via remote control, allowing the driver to observe every stage of the lowering process.

The trailers are built with a low-profile neck, with ramps enabling forklifts to be loaded onto the upper deck. Closed steel cross members in the frame help to provide additional strength for concentrated loads, with machines secured via 14 pairs of lashing points. An electric winch is built into the bulkhead to aid with the loading and unloading process, while four storage compartments have been added for the safe carriage of gas bottles - ideal when delivering fleets of gas-powered forklifts.

The order includes nine 13.6 m (44.6 ft.) trailers and two 10.9 m (35.8 ft.) trailers, with the shorter units designed specifically for making deliveries in London and the south-east.