Seizing an opportunity to get involved with a unique product to New Zealand, that increased safety and efficiency in the road construction industry, was a no-brainer for Dunedin engineer Stu Mowat.
Mowat spent more than 33 years at the coalface with infrastructure giant Fulton Hogan, before branching out with his business partner Corey Reid (another 7-year Fulton Hogan veteran) to form Reid and Mowat Engineering Limited in Dunedin’s Kaikorai Valley.
The company has become the New Zealand licensee for Trout River live bottom trailers, which Mowat says offer major safety benefits for the road construction industry, as the integrated conveyor system in the floor of the trailer removes the need for a tipper body and hydraulics.
It was Canadian-based Trout River Industries which initially developed the moving floor technology.
More than 18 months ago, Reid and Mowat acquired the sole licence to manufacture and supply the live bottom trailers, and other Trout River products, in New Zealand.
“I had seen many incidents in my career of tipper trucks and trailers striking overhead power lines while being in the raised position to spread asphalt or aggregate on to the road surface,” says Mowat.
“Also a lot of people have been killed by tipper decks lowering unexpectedly, that is a far more common phenomenon than the industry lets on,” he says.
Mowat says the Trout River live bottom installation in a rigid truck or trailer allows the truck driver to concentrate on the job at hand, without having to worry about overhanging power lines or trees accidentally connecting with a tipper body.
“It is a lot more relaxing for the driver not to worry about looking out for trees or power lines, they can just concentrate on the job at hand, because this unit makes it so easy,” he says.
Corey Reid says the versatility of the live boots trailer allows operators to discharge on uneven ground, unload indoors, work under low structures and overhead lines stockpile, spread, shoulder and haul different types of cargo.
“From asphalt, quarry product, sand and crushed glass, to produce such as carrots and potatoes, the flexibility of the Trout River trailer allows operators to use it all year round and get a great return on their investment in the unit,” says Reid.
Reid and Mowat Engineering created the first New Zealand made Trout River live bottom trailer for Downers, and the second was recently delivered to RCK Contracting in Auckland.
The Isuzu 6×4 rigid unit, pictured here with a Trout River live bottom floor in Fulton Hogan livery, is the first such unit of its type to be delivered to a customer.
The Downer-owned Trout River trailer went into service on Auckland’s Waterview Tunnel Project. It has a tare weight of 6900kg, and Gough Transpecs and Gough TWL, assisted the project with the supply of key components, brake certification, and technical support.
The Downer trailer also features Gough Group supplied products including SAF Intra disc brake and air suspension package, as well as a Wabco EBS brake system.
According to Reid and Mowat Engineering, the Trout River live bottom trailers offer a range of unique attachment options. These attachments have ‘quick coupling’ hook ups that allow operators to do a variety of jobs in minutes.
A spreader attachment is ideal for back roads, parking areas, and driveways says Read and Mowat. The shouldering attachment is ideal for for road shouldering, guard rails, and wash outs says the company.
Trout River’s key signature feature is the rounded tub design. This design ensures there is less wear at the rear of the tub, more of the load moves on the conveyor and ensures the height of the trailer remains at 2950mm.
Reid says this design contributes to greater payload, less wind resistance (and reduced fuel burn), and less chance of being hit by a loader bucket.
Currently there are two size of semi trailers available for customer order – a 2-axle, 8.5-metre (28 feet) unit, or a 3-axle 10-metre (33 feet) unit. The company offers various sizes for truck-mounted units at customer request.
