It was Drake Trailers’ pro-active response to a request from Patlin Transport that led the exciting development of the innovative quad-axle tilt slide. Patlin needed a piece of equipment that could enable their existing trucks to safely transport heavy machinery for salvage.
Standard decks weren’t wide enough for the load and there were also challenges to overcome in order to ensure safe, fast and efficient loading and unloading. Taking these factors into consideration, Drake Trailers created a revolutionary quad-axle trailer that allows heavy plant of all shapes and sizes to be easily and safely transported, using a standard truck.
In a recent interview with Trailer Magazine, Patlin Transport’s owner Pat Papaluca said “We’re always looking at related fields of work, and there was a call for us to take up salvage tasks. For the new job, we needed a dedicated trailer, so we went straight to Drake Trailers to see what it could do for us. We have around 25 Drake Trailers, including rows of eight, axle wideners and deck wideners, and they’ve always performed well,” he continued. “When I first started investigating the salvage operation in 2015, I approached Drake straight away.”
A tilt slide with many advantages
Designed to make the job of heavy salvage hauling simple, the tilt slide trailer can also be used for more generic recovery work or transport duties. Pat Papaluca has even said “If you are serious about being in heavy haulage, you buy Drake trailers, it’s that simple.” In addition to the robust construction and sound Australian workmanship which are hallmarks of every Drake Trailers product, the tilt slide also features:
- A self-loading mechanism (no crane required)
- A ramp that’s extendable to 20 metres for a graduated incline
- 25 to 40-tonne capacity
- A large number of reinforced tie-down points for secure fastening during transit
- Radio remote controlled operation of hydraulics and winching
- Semi-concealed water tank under the top deck
Built for safety and practicality
Safety is always a priority when dealing with heavy loads; the quad-axle tilt slide benefits from a number of features that minimises risks to operatives. Because the hydraulics and winching can all be controlled remotely, users can stand clear of the machinery.
Manual tasks can also increase the risk of injury, so remote operation reduces the stresses and strains workers are subjected to. Increased mechanisation also means fewer workers are needed on a job and the time taken to complete the loading and unloading process is reduced. Because the tilt slide can work without the use of an additional crane, it’s ideal for stand-alone work.
With decades of successful trading behind them, Drake Trailers’ practical, engineering-based approach is pivotal in their continual development of advanced solutions for the haulage industry. Dedicated to providing every customer with a customised piece of dependable equipment that will do exactly what’s needed, Drake Trailers ensure that innovation and cutting-edge technology are combined with good, old-fashioned high-quality production methods, premium Australian materials and exceptional attention to detail to create a range of quad-axle tilt slide trailer products that transforms the heavy haulage experience.
The Drake Group are a group of companies that encompass Drake Trailers, O’Phee Trailers and Drake Collectibles. The Drake Group are manufacturers of widening and fixed width trailers for heavy haulage, mine site equipment transport, semi-trailers, steerable modular trailers, telescopic trailers and specialist uses for nearly 60 years.
