Goldstar's new fleet supplied by Cooper Handling.

One of the largest container hauliers in the UK has taken delivery of a mixed materials handling fleet as part of a GBP1.2 million (USD1.53 million) deal with Cooper Handling.

Founded in 1998, Goldstar Transport handles more than 1,200 container movements every day for a varied customer base, from major shipping lines to smaller niche market operators.

With the redevelopment of its A14 Logistics at Woolpit in Suffolk into a state-of-the-art facility, Goldstar offers more than just container lifting. With a dedicated team of container park technicians, the off-dock storage operation can de-van/load a variety of products including steel, paper reels and palletised goods. The operation also offers container 'bag lining' services for the local sugar and malt trade, which is an extremely labour-intensive operation.

The new equipment includes a Maximal MA20D forklift and a Maximal M50D container de-stuffer, both specified with triplex de-vanning mast sections, a Sany 16-1200 HD forklift with 6.5 m mast for 20-ft. containers, two Sany 45-31 G laden reachstackers and a 108 SMV unladen reachstacker.

The new fleet represents a comprehensive materials handling solution tailored to meet Goldstar's unique requirements and all the new machines have been prepared in its corporate colours, with each asset receiving a bespoke paint job.

Chris Barnes, general manager at Cooper Handling, explains: "The new handling fleet has been purposely specified to meet Goldstar's current needs and future requirements. The laden reachstackers have been prepared with additional heavy slinging points for non-containerised heavy lifts and high-beam LED lighting enabling 24-hour operations.

"The empty reachstacker offers speed and increased productivity against its laden equivalent and will be utilised in the newly developed empty park.

"The fleet of forklift trucks has been future-proofed with additional front-end hydraulics for dedicated commodity attachments such as paper reels, clamps and steel hooks, widening its operational use."

In addition to the supply of the new equipment, the contract will see Cooper's dedicated service and maintenance division, Cooper Solutions, provide long-term, fully comprehensive maintenance support at the Woolpit facility.