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NEWS
Review: Freighter T-Liner MkII
Faster, easier, safer – Freighter's innovative curtainsider technology is hauling trailers into the futureFreighter's T-Liner MkII trailer has been welcomed as a positive step forward by both drivers and fleet operators alike. Trucksales got along to the media launch of this innovative curtainsider back in August 2016, but we were equally happy to have a closer look at the trailer during a recent test of Scania's G 480 prime mover.
When Scania said it had a G 480 we could review but it didn't have a trailer, the good folk at MaxiTRANS, Freighter's parent company, stepped in and offered us a T-Liner MkII to tow behind it – also giving us the opportunity to put the trailer under the microscope.
The T-Liner MkII essentially sees a regular T-Liner's buckles cut down from 22 per side to just six, with arcs of nylon rope applying vertical tension to the curtains themselves. Furthermore, the new 'high force' buckles now have a new mechanism and a longer lever to apply more leverage, while new non-slip clamps hold the strap in place.
With our Scania parked up at a truck rest stop on the Hume Highway, we had a crack at opening and closing the curtains. Releasing the buckles is simply a matter of unlatching the clasp and pulling up the buckle handle – once you know what you're doing, it takes no more than a few seconds.
Repeat for the other five buckles and then release the leading edge of the curtain by cranking back the chunky, easy-to-grip handle. The pole the curtain tightens around drops out of its upper housing, and then it's just a matter of pulling the curtains back along the upper curtain track.
MaxiTRANS says the T-Liner MkII can shave 10 minutes per drop, significantly boosting productivity through the course of a day, while drivers are spared the injuries and strains that typically occur with traditional buckles and curtains.
It didn't take long to familiarise ourselves with the buckle and curtain operation and, once we had, the benefits were clear. The T-Liner MkII draws upon several Freighter innovations and incorporates a number of patented and patent-pending features, including new load restraint gates, easy-glide curtain rollers and more.
On top of that, Freighter trailers are all made here in Australia, at Freighter's manufacturing facility in Ballarat, and they're covered by a two-year nationwide warranty.
Yes, we might be living in a globalised world, but Aussie ingenuity is alive and well.
For more information about Freighter products visit www.freighter.com.au.
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Written byRod Chapman
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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