What are side-loaders and how do they operate?

Side-loaders, or side-lifters, enable transport companies to load and unload containers and out of gauge cargo onto flat-bed trailer trucks without the use of cranes but instead, with the use of a specially mounted hydraulic-powered mechanism installed on the trailer chassis. These hydraulic structures can also be telescopic; adjusting to varying sizes of containers and can handle weights of up to 33 tons without any counter weight. Side-loaders are operated with the use of remote-control and a single person can operate it in a fast but safe manner.

How did the collaboration between Express Trailers and HAMMAR come about?

Due to my technical and mechanical background, I have been doing work for HAMMAR for a long time, consulting them on one-off projects and assisting in their delivery. When work on the re-building and reconditioning of side-loaders started increasing, I felt that our know-how, our hands-on experience and the logistic setup we have could enable us to tap into this new potential business and we reached a collaboration agreement with HAMMAR which is a world-known Swedish brand in the side-loader business. We have already invested a lot in this new collaboration with HAMMAR to re-build and re-condition side-loaders on behalf of its clients, operations that effectively saw us moving into the manufacturing business. We have been offering this service for a year and a half now and I see this is proof of how resourceful Maltese businesses can be by creating opportunity and new business prospects.

You recently completed and delivered your eleventh side-loader to a client in the Canary Islands.

Yes this latest project was a special one because the specifications and the special features of this side-loader make it a unique model in the world. This side-loader which is ADR-certificated for the transportation of toxic and flammable materials, features a crane parallel slide function, newly developed EBS-E braking system, tailguard underprotection, electric hydraulic steering for control of rear axle all radiocontrolled, a system to reduce length of chains for handling of special cargo, reverse parking sensors, electrical suspension system all radio-controlled from the cabin, as well as a safety feature against wrong side-lifting.

What did this job entail?

“Work on this latest side-loader started 10 weeks ago and saw the involvement of two welders and three mechanical assemblers working non-stop to finish this commission on time. After the dismantling of the old chassis, it was sent for sand-blasting. Back at Express Trailers’ garage, we went through the plans and drawings sent to us from Hammar in Sweden, started welding whilst the mechanics refurbished the brakes and all mechanical systems. All the metallic paintwork was also carried out at our paintshop followed by the assembly process. Upon completion, the side-loader was tested by an independent engineer.

How is HAMMAR responding to your work?

HAMMAR are delighted with the way we are keeping to our commitment to deliver the highest level of service for its clients round the world. When we started this new operation, we had committed to deliver four to five re-conditioned side-loaders a year. However, this latest job was the eleventh side-loader in 1.5 years. Our target is now set at six side-loaders a year and this year the target is set to be reached. HAMMAR’s techcnical director was recently in Malta and upon visiting our workshops, he commended us for the way we are delivering the work and seemed very impressed with the way we operate. We regularly attend training programmes in Sweden to remain abreast with their technology and we are also travelling to other countries around Europe to oversee and work directly on re-conditioning projects, the latest of which was in France.

Express Trailers recently carried out a number of infrastructural projects at its premises.

Yes. Increased business from HAMMAR required us to invest in our workshops to be able to cater for this increased demand. The completion of this latest commission followed recent important infrastructural works in the outer yard premises of Express Trailers, further investment that involved resurfacing of the external yard as well as an upgrade of its workshops. The latter upgrade involved the replacement of the roof structure of the main workshops to allow the installation of new mobile cranes to assist better the technical staff in the growing business of side-loader reconditioning. The newly installed roof and mobile crane system not only helps us reach new efficiencies but provide a safer working environment for our employees. We also decided to give an overhaul to our yard through a major resurfacing project because this helps us optimise space, which is intrinsically a limited resource. Space is not only essential towards these better efficiencies in our operations but also benefits the working conditions of our people, an improvement in the observance of health and safety procedures and at the end of the supply chain, an improved service to our customers.

Are there any challenges that you are facing throughout these operations for HAMMAR?

Over these past one and a half years, we have been working with a team of five people. Two of them are professional welders and another two are assembly mechanics. The fifth employee oversees the work and helps whenever the need arises. However, it remains a challenge finding experienced welders and assemblers who are willing to work, are passionate and love their job. However, as we expect business to grow, we know we will need to recruit more workers especially welders. We need people who are passionate, want to learn and are willing to be part of a successful team. From our end, we are also ready to offer them all the required training. Availability of capable and talented workers in this fieldremains an issue and it is proving to be very difficult to find these types of workers. Unless we find more tradesmen, we will not be able to meet the growing demand..

How is the future of this operation looking?

As I said, we are expecting more side-loader business coming our way. We have already invested a lot in this operation and the result of this investment is that we have already seen a successful year and a half. We are now preparing to work on the modification of another chassis however, the more important job we have lined up is work on our own Express Trailers side-loader. Every stage of its production, as well as its elaborate designs, have had to be approved by HAMMAR. With its special cranes and adjustable chains, this new side-loader will be the first three-stacker HAMMAR-approved side-loader in the world.