Putting on a show

Specialist haulier, Luckings, has added an extra eight new Schmitz Cargobull Mega Box vans to its vehicle fleet. With the new additions Luckings, who specialize in the storage and transportation of equipment for the film and theatrical industry, now has over 30 Schmitz Cargobull trailers in its 100 strong fleet.

The trailers will be used to transport stage sets, props, costumes and production equipment for a range of touring productions and their first ‘role’ will be to move the stage musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is currently appearing in theatres across the UK and the production features a complicated set and rig for the famous flying car, which needs to be carefully packed up, transported and re-set at each theatre – along with the scenery and costumes for a cast of 70, including 10 dogs. 16 trailers are needed for each move of the production so the reliability and durability of the vehicles was a big factor when it came to deciding which make to purchase.

One of the attractions of the Schmitz Cargobull trailers to Luckings, was the low chassis height of the trailers, which combined with their straight floor, makes them easier to load and unload than step frame models. In the entertainment industry where careful handling of sets and equipment are key customer concerns and health and safety of loading crews is of paramount importance, this was particularly significant to Luckings, as the company’s managing director, Nick Dooner, explains: “The trailers allow heavy flight cases and electrical/lighting equipment to be loaded across a straight floor thus adding health and safety benefits to the loading crews.”

The Mega trailers are constructed using Schmitz Cargobull’s patented Ferroplast Thermo Technology modular steel-skinned panels to keep loads at the desired temperature. In the past, Luckings had experienced problems with single-skinned trailers or aluminium and fibreglass models which allowed condensation to build up within the trailer during hot weather – which is not good for the costumes and other equipment.

The eight new trailers have been given a bright and clean livery and Nick Dooner says so far customer feedback has been very positive. “In fact,” says Nick, “normally when in the West End it is the shows that tourists flock to see but recently during a multi trailer ‘get in’ for the new production of Gone with the Wind, it was one of our drivers who found himself in the spotlight when he was asked to pose next to his new trailer for passing tourists who wanted to photograph the scene. That proves that our new trailers are certainly a stunning sight!”

The new trailers were built at Schmitz Cargobull’s UK production facility at Harelaw, County Durham and are constructed using Schmitz Cargobull’s patented bolted and galvanized production method. Essentially, the bolted and galvanized system removes the need for any welding and, therefore, results in consistently high product quality and greater production flexibility. The galvanizing process – all parts of the chassis are galvanized before the build process takes place – ensures that there is no corrosion within the joint when two parts of the trailer are brought together. Schmitz Cargobull offers a 10 year anti-corrosion warranty on the Galvanized chassis as standard.