A flatbed trailer for transporting live lump fish and wrasse (cleaner fish) from hatcheries in the south of England and North Wales to salmon farmers in Scotland, Ireland and the Faroe Islands, is quite a departure from the trailers Tiger typically manufactures and was a technical challenge relished by its highly-experienced design engineers and specialist product division.
Tiger Trailers’ customer, Migdale Transport, is a family-owned firm based in Bonar Bridge, an estuary village on the bank of the Kyle of Sutherland in the northern tip of Scotland. The business employs thirty five full time employees including crew, logistics and planning personnel, and its fleet of specialist vessels are designed to be able to stand up to the challenging sea conditions around Orkney and Shetland while being adept at manoeuvring around the more restricted environments of fish farm cages. Many of Migdale Transport’s marine customers in the food sector typically receive young farmed cleaner fish from these specialised hatcheries which in turn remove sealice from the Atlantic salmon in their cages in an environmentally friendly way.
With Migdale playing an important role in the supply and transport of live fish around the UK, from its own to other fish farmers’ stocks of salmon smolts, trout, and cleaner fish, and operating under Covid-19 key worker status during the pandemic, it’s more pertinent than ever that its fleet of specialist trailers, operated by nine truck units – mainly DAF but including a Scania R500 – are designed specifically for the job.
“Migdale Transport Ltd are very happy that we could find a bespoke solution with Tiger Trailers in the design and construction of this new concept, and we are satisfied with the good co-operation and the finished quality of the delivered trailer. We look forward to using this new trailer which will increase numbers of fish loaded and be more economic for our customers going forward. It is good to have Tiger Trailers based in the UK, providing solutions for our developing Aquaculture Industry and we look forward to continued co-operation in the future”, comments Hugh G Murray, Managing Director of Migdale Transport Ltd.
The solution delivered comprised a tri-axle dropside flatbed trailer with a fully galvanised chassis to meet the climactic demands of daily operation in often salty and wet conditions. Guides were incorporated for the transportation of up to sixteen tanks of live fish, with four flaps on the nearside and four on the offside. A steel chequer plate overlay was identified for the trailer’s flooring, and the design incorporated space for the routing of cables and pipes down the centre. Tiger Trailers’ specialist solution for Migdale Transport was finished in Gentian Blue, matching the livery of the customer’s trucks.
“It was fantastic to have the opportunity to work alongside Migdale Transport in collaboratively designing a specialist trailer solution for such a niche and interesting operation that necessitates key strength and durability requirements. We are proud to have delivered a Tiger trailer for Migdale’s fleet and look forward to continuing to support them as a customer”, says Tiger Trailers’ Technical Sales Manager, Thomas Stott.
Tiger Trailers’ specialist design and engineering division typically provides solutions ranging from chipliners and flatbeds to fork-lift truck carriers and coil-carriers, for end users including Calor Gas and Toyota.
