Lincolnshire farmer-owned co-operative invests in 36 tippers

The 72m3 trailers started arriving towards the end of 2022, making the short journey from Fruehauf’s base in Grantham to the nearby Lincolnshire firm. Further new tippers are due for delivery every month through to July, joining a mixed fleet of vehicles aiding Openfield’s 2023 growth ambitions.

The size of the deal underlines the agricultural company’s major investment in renewing and expanding its transport fleet.

The fleet has grown by more than 40% as the farmer-owned co-operative expands its grain marketing and input deliveries business.

The agreement also showcases the co-op’s continued confidence in Fruehauf, which has supplied trailers to Openfield for more than 20 years.

Keith Hughes, head of fleet at Openfield, says: “The quality of Fruehauf trailers is excellent. That’s why we have such a long and fruitful relationship with the company. And now it’s under the ownership of MV Commercial, we have even more trust in Fruehauf’s ability to manufacture and deliver trailers to meet all our requirements.

“The new tippers are part of our fleet expansion and replacement programme as we grow the business in 2023 and they serve our business perfectly. They are versatile and can easily accommodate different types of load.”

Based in various depots across England and Wales, the tippers are primarily being used to transport grain from farmers to customers who manufacture some of the best-known British food and drink brands. Openfield is also a national fertiliser distributor, and manufactures and delivers quality seed to farmers.

The sloper smoothsider tippers, which will average 100,000km per year, are specified with Dawbarn Hydroclear electric sheets, reverse and loading cameras, as well as onboard wi-fi enabled PM 1155 weighing systems and 150mm high hoods.

Owned by around 4,000 British farmers, Openfield sells approximately 17% of the UK marketed grain every year to some of the biggest food and drink brands, as well as being one of Britain’s largest grain exporters.

Fruehauf says it is the UK’s leading manufacturer of rigid and tipping trailers. The products are built to last, with quality at the heart of everything the company does.

Acknowledged for its precision engineering, the company has 90% of the market share for tipper and planked trailers. Fruehauf is now applying its legendary quality, design, and construction excellence to the rigid market.