Van Eck Trailers has a strong tradition of innovative logistics solutions which is communicated by its ‘Trailer Made’ slogan. Conceived in 1995 to carry palm trees which require an internal height of 3485 mm, Van Eck’s twindeck concept, Eckstreme Series, today is the most efficient way of cargo transport for you and the environment.
One of the first interested parties for the Eckstreme double-deck semi trailer was Daniel Dreier, co-owner and board member of Dreier AG. The transport and logistics company operates at various locations in Europe and North Africa with over 600 employees, 300 trucks and 750 swap bodies. The maxim of the Swiss family-owned company is: “Dreier is ecologically on the move. Be it in combined transport or with 30 double-deckers.”
Daniel Dreier held initial talks at the 2004 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show, where Van Eck presented the new Eckstreme. When Dreier showed the concept to his customer, the Swiss postal service, it quickly became convinced of the 30 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. The first test vehicle was followed in 2006 by the commissioning of the double-decker fleet of 11 vehicles, which grew to 21 trailers four years later. Dreier currently has 30 corner stretchers from Van Eck in operation. Full loads are shuttled between the three major parcel centers of Frauenfeld, Daillens and Härkingen for the Swiss postal service.
All double-deckers are identically equipped, with a height-adjustable intermediate floor, a lifting platform and Van Eck roller conveyor for pallets at the bottom. This allows loading times to be significantly reduced once again. However, it is mainly roller containers that are loaded, or non-refrigerated foodstuffs. Dreier: “On average, each double-decker covers 150,000 km a year in two-shift operation. We’re sure to keep them in heavy use for ten years.”
On Dreier’s initiative (in cooperation with Hugelshofer and the Swiss postal service), many tried-and-tested solutions were found in close exchange with the manufacturer that have proven themselves in tough continuous operation. For example, Daniel Dreier relies on the lifting floor, which can be raised completely over a length of 13.6 m: “This makes direct unloading much faster once again.” He also appreciates Van Eck’s own extremely stable lifting platform. He sees the low susceptibility to damage due to the air-suspended independent wheel suspensions as a further plus. Maintenance is handled by Dreier’s own workshop, whose personnel are trained in the Netherlands – at Van Eck and at Tridec, the manufacturer of the wheel housings. Special training in one-day courses is also provided for the drivers. The driving style is not fundamentally different, but because of the lower ground clearance, it is important to pay attention to bumps in the road and then raise the air suspension in a targeted manner.
In the coming year, the two Swiss partner companies Dreier AG and Hugelshofer AG will procure a total of 15 trailers from Van Eck as a replacement investment and thus continue to be sustainable on the road.
