VersaBOLT wins top trailer

An ingenious new tipper range unveiled on Thursday at the Brisbane Truck Show by Hamelex White has been awarded the accolade of 'Trailer of Show' at the event's awards night.

Making its public debut at the show, the VersaBOLT tipper range features what the company terms as a revolutionary new modular construction that allows the trailer to be shipped from factory to dealer in a knock-down, flat-pack-style format. This drastically shortens lead times and affords rapid delivery to customers.

The new range impressed Brisbane Truck Show judges for its innovation, numerous safety features and appearance, among other aspects.

According to Craig Wallace (pictured), General Manager of Tippers at Hamelex White's parent company, MaxiTRANS, the concept came as a direct response to the needs of the company's customers.

"Feedback suggested that many tipper operators would greatly appreciate a trailer that can be delivered sooner upon winning a contract and that has greater ease of servicing," he said.

"VersaBOLT is Hamelex White's solution to that feedback.

"We can flat-pack the product to the customer. The idea of delivery would be the customer orders it through a dealership, it goes to the manufacturing plant, we have it sitting there, we can ship it as a flat-pack to the dealership, and then the dealer can put it together. The time taken to do that for the tub is about a day to a day and a half, so instead of the usual process taking six, eight, 10 weeks, in theory this should be done in about a three-week process."

Mr Wallace says the VersaBOLT concept can be applied to any trailer configuration and tailored to suit any application, while it can also be constructed at any MaxiTRANS production facility.

"What it means is that if we are approached by a customer in Queensland looking for a low-tare dog tipper for quarry applications, we can select aluminium floor and wall modules, install them in our Queensland facility and have a tipper on the road within a matter of weeks," he says.

"Conversely, if we are approached by a customer in South Australia looking for a grain semi-tipper, we can use our low-tare steel modules, install them in SA and deliver that equally as quickly."

Hamelex White says VersaBOLT dog trailers and rigid bodies are available in either steel or Hardox, while semi-tippers and an aluminium construction will also become available in the near future.

"So, whether rigid, dog or semi, low tare or heavy duty, farm or quarry, aluminium, steel or Hardox – VersaBOLT opens up a world of possibilities," says Mr Wallace.

While the trailer on show at Brisbane is essentially a concept trailer, Hamelex White says a pre-production version has been in use in a quarrying application in Caboolture, Qld, for about eight weights, with no issues encountered thus far. Further early examples will be trialled with other customers in other parts of the country, before the VersaBOLT enters full production before the end of this year.

As the trailers' various components are bolted together, repairs can be carried out in a fast and cost-effective manner. Other benefits include an innovative two-way tailgate that switches from a top-hinge to a side-hinge format via the turning of a lever, while the tarp system has also been simplified.

The VersaBOLT tipper on show in Brisbane was a PBS-approved four-axle dog trailer constructed of Hardox.

"Hamelex White was one of the first trailer manufacturers to embrace the PBS concept and we believe there is still more potential for our customers to take further advantage of it," says Mr Wallace.

"The fact that our display trailer is a PBS model exhibits some further flexibility of the VersaBOLT concept, while also demonstrating our commitment to remaining Australia's leading PBS tipper manufacturer."