Teletrucks make the most of limited yard space
The trucks allow a recycling firm to load and unload efficiently despite only being able to access lorries from one side.
Highlander International Recycling processes over 22 grades of waste paper and currently recycles some 1000 tonnes of fibre per week – although the weekly average is expected to hit 1200 tonnes in the near future.
To keep pace with this growth, newer and better ways of carrying out operations and increasing capacity are constantly sought.
The company’s founder, Brian Bingham, says: “The efficiency of the materials handling equipment that we use across our East Kilbride facility plays an essential role in helping Highlander reach current and future throughput targets.”
A fleet of eight JCB Teletruks is in operation at the site. The Teletruks – all diesel-powered and predominantly 3.5 tonne capacity models – are used to unload incoming curtainsiders and other vehicles and deliver raw materials directly to six dedicated waste paper processing units.
The same machines are used to collect 700kg blocks finished of goods from Highlander’s storage facility and deliver them to vehicles for onward shipment to mills and packaging manufacturers.
The layout of Highlander’s East Kilbride site means that yard space is at a premium: incoming lorries have no room to turn at the facility and once unloaded they have no choice but to reverse out the way they came.
The site’s squeezed dimensions means that there is not sufficient room to allow curtainsided trailers to be unloaded from both sides by conventional counterbalanced forklifts trucks. However, using Teletruk technology, Highlander is able to load and unload up to four vehicles every hour.