In the interactive financial benefits analysis below you can actively analyse the advantages of aluminium for your road transport business.
The payback of aluminium trailers is calculated based on additional incomes described in the following three paragraphs.
- Aluminium reduces dead vehicle weight. When transporting high density freight, which usually saturates the maximum gross vehicle weight, aluminium allows loading more goods. This translates into additional income, better competitiveness and lower fuel consumption per ton-kilometre of goods.
- During trips made below the maximum gross vehicle weight, i.e. when transporting low-density goods, for partly loaded or empty trips, aluminium reduces the overall weight, lowering the fuel consumption per kilometre.
- When they reach the end of their long service life, aluminium trailers still have a high scrap value. This is due to the fact that aluminium is easily recycled, without losing any of its quality and saving 95% of the primary energy input. To be on the most conservative side, the calculator only considers the scrap value of aluminium vehicles while in practice, after 10 years of use by a first operator, they are rather re-used than recycled. Indeed, having a lot of success on the second and even third hand market, they are usually sold for a very good price to a second or third owner.
Another aspect that is not reflected in the model for the sake of simplicity, is the reduced maintenance needs due to aluminium’s well-known corrosion resistance. This is an obvious advantage in road transport as it contributes to a long service life, especially in vehicles which work in conditions that can cause serious rust problems. No painting or other surface protection is required and it is easy to clean. Maintenance is therefore kept to a minimum.