Manufacturing & Supply Chain

The UK’s fourth largest supermarket, WM Morrison Supermarkets plc, is in the process of welcoming 150 innovative and eye-catching Tiger trailers to its operations in a move that marks a fresh choice for its fleet and is anticipated to deliver efficiency gains of up to 70%.

Morrisons has historically utilised temperature-controlled box van trailers to undertake the majority of deliveries to its circa 500 stores throughout the UK, but the supermarket’s team, echoed by Tiger Trailers’ design engineers, identified that ambient moving double deck trailers would increase not only efficiency but versatility, too.

Capable of transporting 44 pallets as opposed to 26 previously, and also able to carry cages, Tiger Trailers’ ambient moving double deck solution for Morrisons is a prime example of innovative design and engineering resulting in ‘more products, fewer miles’ and translates into 50% more real-world scope for store deliveries.

“We’re very pleased with our new ambient double deck trailers from Tiger, which are the result of our teams working closely together to achieve a new solution for our fleet. The trailers’ extra capacity and versatility signify an innovative step forwards and we’re delighted that they carry our new branding elements and messaging, 2020 having galvanised the customer relationship in an unprecedented way. Thanks again to Tiger Trailers’ team”, comments Keith Boulton, Morrisons’ Head of Transport.

Critical within the customer’s brief was the delivery of a trailer that would be closer to a tall curtainsider in height rather than a conventional double deck, in order to be able to operate within the more restricted environments of Morrisons’ urban and rural stores.

Tiger’s ambient moving double deck curtainsider trailers for Morrisons feature an internal gate rated to 10 tonnes, the manufacturer’s proven in-house 4-ram deck-lifting system, an aerodynamic roof design, EN 12642-XL rated components, plus Tiger’s innovative ‘Captive Rave’ load securing and restraint system that boosts both efficiency and operator safety and enables the dual cage and pallet capability.

“Our team always embrace a challenge and it’s been a privilege to work alongside Morrisons’ people in designing and manufacturing a trailer that fulfils their very specific brief and ultimately helps keep supermarket shelves stocked and people fed. We’re proud of the effective and striking trailers we’ve introduced to Morrisons’ fleet and look forward to supporting them over the coming years”, says Darren Holland, Tiger Trailers’ Sales Director.

With a 7,300-strong logistics team based at seven regional and one national distribution centre, a vehicle fleet travelling 115 million kilometres a year, 3.5 million cases picked per day from its warehouses, 54,000 collections made from its manufacturing sites a year, and with 96% of the supermarket’s deliveries arriving on time, it’s essential that Morrisons’ trailers are designed for their challenging role.

Alongside Morrisons’ order of 125 Tiger Trailers tri-axle stepframe curtainsided double decks, it has also received 25 lightweight moving double deck trailers for Rathbones bakery, which is part of the supermarket’s group. The Rathbones trailers feature a highly distinctive livery in the form of a ‘naked’ loaf of bread and enable a 1,322 basket capacity, which is a significant 22.4% advancement over the operator’s previous bread trailers that transported 1,080 baskets.

“Thanks to the Tiger Trailers team for their co-operation on this project. These multi-deck trailers have also provided us with an opportunity to roll out our latest Morrisons branding that is being introduced across our logistics, fuel and home delivery fleet”, comments Justine Manley, Morrisons’ Brand and Formats Design Director.

Operating around 500 stores that serve close to a million customers each week, efficient logistics is vitally important to the retailer, heightened further by the Coronavirus pandemic and now Christmas. Tiger Trailers’ experience, insight and innovation in customer-led trailer design has delivered an effective solution that coincides with the introduction of Morrisons’ eye-catching and emotive new liveries.