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Worker-friendly, manoeuvrable trailer for Teus Kuiper

Teus Kuiper Veetransporten of Hoogblokland (NL) has been using a trailer with VSE steering for some time now. The special trailer is used to transport cattle, and one of the requirements was optimum manoeuvrability. Thanks to the independent steering of both trailer axles, the trailer can load at the same addresses as a rigid truck!

The trailer is equipped with a chassis from Draco of Sneek and a body from Schaap Carrosserie of Tijnje. These two Frisian companies have delivered customised solutions that perfectly meet Teus Kuiper’s requirements: ‘We were looking for a trailer that could help our driver get the job done. He has a physical disability that prevents him from doing heavy work. A combi was too laborious for him, and the frequent connection and disconnection is also physically challenging work. That is why we chose this concept. Schaap Carrosseriebouw has built the body in such a way that the driver can operate everything with one arm. This includes the tail lift and the fences inside the semi-trailer that separate the cows.”

The trailer, with a length of 12.5 metres and a capacity of 23 cattle, is used for the work normally done with rigid trucks. This demands extreme manoeuvrability, hence the choice for VSE-steered Tecma axles. The trailer normally steers along with the truck perfectly, but the remote control also allows manual steering. As a result, the driver can get where he needs to go even in an obstacle-filled farmyard. The trailer can be steered in any desired direction, either with the wheels turned opposite those of the truck or with ‘crab steering’, where all wheels are turned in the same direction. 

The trailer has been finished to perfectly match the Volvo truck. The profile of the Volvo’s side valance continues smoothly into the trailer’s. Large boxes have been mounted behind those panels for all kinds of supplies. Thanks to the built-in LED lighting all around, the driver also has excellent visibility around the combination during the dark months.

Schaap Carrosseriebouw developed from their own livestock transport activities. So bodies for livestock transport are Schaap’s speciality, and that was the deciding factor for Teus Kuiper. “This is our first trailer, but we have had many bodies from Schaap in the past. They know exactly what is important in this specialised work, and that experience comes through in everything they do. They have thought of everything, and this body works quickly and easily and is easy to clean.”