Vreden, Germany: Continued high orders for new refrigerated trailers has prompted Schmitz Cargobull to move to triple-shift operations at its Vreden plant to help reduce lead times for UK and European customers.
Paul Avery, managing director of Schmitz Cargobull UK, says the decision means that standard reefers can be delivered to customers in as little as 12 weeks, compared to the average six-month turnaround currently being quoted in the market.
“No one likes to be reminded of Christmas in the summer months, but in reality this is one of the busiest times of the year for trailer manufacturers,” says Avery. “Customers are already planning what assets will be available for the run-up to Christmas; this leads to high order volumes which can ultimately create extended delivery lead times. By increasing our production capacity we aim to help customers meet delivery requirements; even orders placed as late as mid-September can be guaranteed for delivery before the end of December.”
Schmitz Cargobull’s modern 120,094m2 facility in Vreden, Germany, is the manufacturing hub for all temperature controlled and dry freight box-van trailers sold throughout Europe. Production capacity currently stands at 15,000 units per year.