DHL and DON-BUR launch a new Curtainsider Teardrop trailer

Innovative new design achieves 9% fuel savings and 10% additional load capacity

DHL Exel Supply Chain, the leading logistics services provider, and DON-BUR, experts in vehicle design, have announced the launch of an innovative new design for the Teardrop trailer.

Since the beginning of the year, DHL has been working with DON-BUR to develop a side-access, curtain-sided version of the teardrop shaped trailer for general network operation. In October, the first prototype Teardrop curtain-sider was introduced into the DHL fleet, and has already achieved 9% fuel savings and 10% additional load capacity, compared to a conventional trailer of similar size.

David Potter, UK Director of Fleet Engineering Services, DHL Exel Supply Chain said: “Saving fuel and reducing carbon emissions are two key priorities that are achievable by careful consideration of tractor and articulated trailer design. DON-BUR Teardrop trailers are now well established within parts of our dedicated fleet and have proven themselves capable of generating significant savings in fuel and its associated cost and CO2 emissions. The development of curtain-sider Teardrop trailers was an obvious and natural step to increase their usability for a greater range of operation types and make this new design available to wider range of customers.”

David Burton, Chief Executive of Sales & Strategy at DON-BUR added: “Maintaining the same aerodynamic benefits as the existing Teardrop trailers was critical and the requirement to introduce taller side apertures presented some difficult challenges that have now been overcome. We are delighted with the results to date and also the successful way we have worked with DHL to develop the design.”

Following the successful integration of box van Teardrop trailers into their fleet in 2007, DHL now has over 200 in use and has been operating a twelve month familiarisation program with its key supply chain customers. To date, fuel saving figures have averaged over 12% in comparison to existing trailers.

Testing and developing new technologies such as the Teardrop trailer is one of the key elements of DHL’s climate protection strategy. Together with its parent company, Deutsche Post World Net, DHL has embarked on a GoGreen program which aims to improve its own carbon efficiency, as well as its subcontractors, by 30% by the year 2020.