RedBull Powder Co and TRT: A Low Loader Built Around the Job
OVERVIEW
RedBull Powder Co worked with TRT to create a transport solution for its drilling division.
The result was a TRT Quad Axle Fixed Width Low Loader that can carry a large drill and utility vehicle in one legal road-going combination.
SITUATION
RedBull Powder Co specialises in drilling and blasting services for quarry, mining and construction work.
Its Pokeno-based drilling division needed a trailer that could support how its team moves drilling equipment between sites.
RPC began looking for the right solution in late 2019.
The project slowed after a company acquisition in 2020 and through the Covid years, then returned to focus in late 2022.
CHALLENGE
RPC needed to transport one of its large drilling machines with a utility vehicle on the same trailer.
The trailer also had to work with either of RPC’s large Sandvik drilling machines.
That added complexity because each machine needed different mast supports during transport.
The design also needed to keep tare weight low, carry the combined load and remain legal on the road.
SOLUTION
TRT developed a Quad-Axle Fixed-Width Low Loader for RPC’s transport requirements.
The trailer was designed around RPC’s drilling machines and utility vehicle, with both Sandvik drills brought to TRT’s Hamilton facility for checking and testing.
Tristen Bradley has said the process involved careful measurement and remeasurement with both drills on site.
This helped confirm the loading positions and ensure the trailer matched the job before paint.
The final trailer included a rear steer axle, rear hydraulic ramps and a special headboard position.
It also included an in-deck drop well so the utility vehicle could sit under the rear of the drilling machine during transport.
MADE POSSIBLE:
RPC can now move a drilling machine and utility vehicle together in one transport unit.
That means one person can transport the drill to site, complete the drilling work and move on to the next job with fewer delays.
The project took four years from first conversation and quote to sign-off.
Glen Harnett has said testing the machines on the trailer before paint helped confirm the units were positioned correctly and the trailer met its intended purpose.
