By investing in electric-operated pedestrian tugs, a manufacturer of commercial vehicle trailers has improved production flows and labour efficiencies, whilst also reducing the risk of accidents and injuries to its employees when moving trailers through each stage of production.
 
Established in 1960, the Cartwright Group is a UK-based, privately owned, family run business that manufactures a wide range of commercial vehicle trailers, including curtain-sided trailers, box van, drawback, skeletal and temperature-controlled trailers. Based in Altrincham, Cheshire, the company operates from a 38-acre site and possesses one of the most efficient bodywork and trailer manufacturing plants in Europe.
 
Prior to investing in pedestrian operated tugs from MasterMover Ltd, employees at the plant were using a combination of forklift trucks (with special attachments) or a diesel tractor unit to move trailers through each stage of the production and assembly. Whilst several forklifts or a single diesel tractor unit are physically capable of lifting heavy loads, they are not specifically designed for moving trailers and so can present a considerable risk to the safety of employees at the site.
 
Furthermore, as well as health and safety concerns, Cartwright also required a more flexible, versatile method of moving trailers around the site’s relatively tight production areas, where space is often restricted to just 4 metres between each trailer. Manoeuvring forklift trucks or a tractor unit in and out of production areas at the site was therefore challenging and time consuming.
 
Since August 2003, Cartwright has purchased a total of eight Master Tug TMS (trailer moving system) from MasterMover. The Master Tug TMS is a versatile, electrically operated pedestrian tug that is designed for moving truck trailers through service centres. The TMS is specially designed to provide control and manoeuvrability to the operator whilst moving heavy, awkward loads of up to 11,000kg.
 
The tug is very compact and simply connects to the trailer via a coupling mechanism, which enables the operator to then pull the trailer in and out of tight spaces, without risk of accidents or injuries to employees. Between 20-30 employees at Cartwright’s Altrincham site now use the Master Tug TMS.