Gull-wing trailers keep loads and other road users safe

The trailers are manufactured by Lincolnshire-based Larrington Trailers. “I first thought of the idea after following a lorry loaded with straw bales along a motorway and seeing four lanes of traffic being showered with loose straw,” explained Richard Larrington. “Checking the regulations, it’s clear that allowing transported materials to escape and cause a nuisance to other travellers is against the law.

“I designed an early version of the clamshell securing system, but didn’t market it at the time. However, I was recently contacted by Joe Bratley of R Bratley (Quadring) Ltd, who wanted agricultural trailers with a convenient and safe load securing system to transport his vegetables and salad crops. I suggested my gull-wing solution. Four trailers were ordered and delivered this autumn, and feedback from Joe as well as the trailer users has been entirely positive.”

Fully secure

Richard’s gull-wing design features a pair of full-length, metal lattice, right-angle steel roof and side sections, with tarpaulin curtains on the outside. The sides are mounted separately on pivots at the top of the trailers, allowing them to be opened separately or together. The opening and closing action is by a pair of double-acting hydraulic rams – one at the front and rear of the trailer for each side, and in the closed position, the side panel is secured along the full length of its base, rather than relying solely on the hydraulic rams.

The trailers supplied so far are operated by the user from the cab, but trailer-mounted controls are an option. Richard explained that for situations where personnel other than the tractor operator might be present, then the external controls which require the user to stand by the trailer sides while they are opening and closing will provide extra safety.

Huge time savings

Each of the four trailers has capacity for 20 standard wooden boxes. “The traditional method is for the tractor driver to leave the cab, sort out the straps and then secure each stack of four boxes separately,” suggested Richard. “Then, when the tractor reaches the yard he must leave the cab again to release the straps and stow them away ready for the trailer to be unloaded. With our gull-wing trailers; he just opens the side covers without leaving the cab while the trailer is loaded, then he closes the covers which secures the load and travels back to the yard, then opens the sides from the cab again for the trailer to be unloaded. Using straps, securing and releasing the load takes up to 30 minutes per cycle, whereas the same task using our gull-wing trailers requires only six minutes.”

Crop quality the priority

R Bratley (Quadring) Ltd, based near Spalding, is a specialist producer of Dutch White Cabbage, Red Cabbage and Pink Cabbage grown mainly for processing and salad packs, as well as potatoes and broccoli.

Joe Bratley said that the trailers, which arrived in October, quickly improved his harvesting operation. “The main reason we wanted them was for cleanliness,” he stressed. “We have to harvest in a wide variety of conditions, and transporting produce in open-sided trailers risks contaminating the load with dust or mud from the field, and spray from the tractor wheels and other traffic on the road. Using trailers with enclosed tops and sides means there is no risk of this happening.

“It also helps ensure produce quality. We apply a drench to cabbages as they are harvested, and all the time the boxes are outside on open trailers then there is a risk that the protective product will be washed off by rain. We don’t have to worry about that happening, using the new trailers. This means the process is more relaxed with less rush to get crops back to the yard and into store. The enclosed trailers also provide a fair degree of frost protection, as well as shade from the sun and wind. By protecting the produce and keeping it as clean as possible from harvesting until it enters the stores means it keeps better, too.”

Loads are secure

Joe commented that, without the tractor running it’s almost impossible to get to the load, and when higher value goods are carried then that’s a particular advantage.

“Previously, loaded trailers had to be put away in buildings ready for unloading the next morning, but the new Larrington Gull-wing trailers can be left loaded in the yard overnight. People can’t see what is on board, and we don’t have to worry about the weather, unless it’s particularly cold.”

Not just for vegetable boxes

Richard said that although most customer demand is likely to be for transporting loads such as potato, salad or vegetable boxes, the trailers are also ideal for moving goods on pallets, hay and straw bales, bags of seed or fertiliser, or even livestock such as poultry in crates. “The load is held securely in place, and protected from the weather as well as mud, spray and dust contamination,” he said. “These trailers allow farmers and growers to fully comply with road transport regulations.”

Maximum safety

Larrington Trailers offers its trailers in almost any colour. Joe specified bright orange for the trailers, and yellow for the canvas top and sides. “They spend a lot of time on the road, so we wanted them as obvious to other road users as possible,” he explained. “They have extremely bright lights too, for maximum safety.”

Joe commented that he feels more confident knowing that his produce is being transported safely and can’t fall from the trailers. “Having these four trailers has really changed our operation for the better,” he confirmed. “Richard Larrington is an excellent engineer and a real pleasure to deal with. The trailers save a lot of time – they are safer, and our tractor operators are much happier not spending all day getting in and out of their cabs with muddy boots, to strap and unstrap loads in all weathers.

“Our only issue now is that our staff want more of these trailers.”

Available for any size Richard said prices for tandem-axle Larrington Gull-wing trailers start at approximately £35,000, although the Bratley family’s trailers pictured also feature additional LED lighting, triaxle running gear with rear-wheel steering, and pneumatic brakes. Any size trailer can be supplied with the gull-wing load protection system.

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