Malcolm Logistics launches its 50ft container

Malcolm Logistics has unveiled its 50ft container, one of 40 that the haulier plans to bring into operation.

The container, which was officially launched by the Princess Royal at the Multimodal show yesterday (30 April), sits on top of a 15.65m SDC-built longer semi-trailer chassis and has 15% more capacity than a standard container.

Group technical engineer Allan Campbell told Commercialmotor.com that the container has been approved for both road and rail operations and was modified by Liverpool-based Bootle Containers.

Campbell said: “Originally the trailer and container were completed late last year and we are going to customers to show them the trailer at the moment.

“The customers interested in it are glass producers and supermarkets- anyone that can see the benefit in getting more in the trailer.”

The operator currently has 40 of the containers on order, but Campbell hopes to see a further 40 go into operation.

“The big [benefit] for us is that it allows us to have more load space in the trailer. Although we can move more goods, the key thing is the CO² savings we get from it,” he added.

In addition to the container fleet, this year Malcolm Logistics is bringing in eight more 14.6m longer semi-trailers, taking the total number it operates to 19.  It has also ordered 70 standard-sized trailers.

Campbell said the firm also has 40 Volvos, a mix of FHs and FMs, on order, plus a Euro-6 MAN tractor unit which is being built next week.

The new additions to the fleet will be split between its depots in Newhouse, Linwood and Heydock.