Martello Transport has bought a fresh fleet of Krone sliding skeletal trailers. The nationwide UK company is strengthening its container haulage capability with 18 new Krone Box Liner sliding skeletal trailers. The haulier is adding capacity and flexibility to meet what it describes as strong demand across the UK’s export and import markets.
Based in Felixstowe, Martello Transport operates nationwide container haulage services, linking major UK ports and freight hubs. The new trailers will handle a wide range of standard containers, including import and export cargo, as well as ADR-compliant loads where required (the European agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road).
Expanding to meet resilient demand
“We’ve bought from Krone before and found their product to be standing the test of time,” said Danny Huwen, Director of Martello Transport. “Great quality, combined with their ability to meet our exact requirements, made the decision straightforward. Each trailer comes with a 10-year paint warranty against rust and combined with the robust construction, we know they will stand up to heavy, daily use over the long term.”
The Box Liners feature robust steel construction with welded cross members and double longitudinal beams, reinforced parking brakes, and extractable rear bumpers compliant with EC regulations. Martello’s fleet now exceeds 150 vehicles, and the company continues to expand as container volumes across the UK remain strong. “Demand for container carriers is strong,” says Huwen. “Customers are increasingly looking for reliable, flexible haulage solutions. Investing in new, high-quality equipment will ensure we stay ahead of demand. Also, the telematics and tyre-monitoring systems give us real-time diagnostics, which helps maximise uptime and plan maintenance more efficiently.”
Road haulage still dominates at Felixstowe
The investment represents another road haulier strengthening its operations in Felixstowe. The UK’s busiest container port is also the busiest rail freight terminal, well ahead in terms of daily train dispatches. Despite recent advances elsewhere, Felixstowe is still scheduling about 35 daily trains, almost twice as many as London Gateway (another port) and inland terminals such as Daventry and Hams Hall (both near Birmingham in the English West Midlands). While the port handles more intermodal trains than anywhere else in the country, road still accounts for around 65% of inland container movements.
Despite the port and the UK government’s long-term policy drives to shift more freight from road to rail, growth in rail capacity at Felixstowe remains constrained by infrastructure bottlenecks — most notably at Ely, a key junction on the network linking the port with the Midlands and the North (see RailFreight.com, our sister service). Until those limitations are resolved, hauliers such as Martello Transport continue to play a critical role in maintaining reliable national connectivity for UK importers and exporters. Martello may well argue that their role (diverse distribution to individual customers) will always remain critical. The latest investment reflects that commitment for the eight-year-old company.