Feb 22, 2013 8:57 AM

Demountable Concepts Inc is making refrigerated and freezer versions of its Warehouse on Wheels System available to food and beverage distributors in the United States.

In Mexico, the system is provided by joint-manufacturing and logistics partners of Demountable Concepts, and used by some of that nation’s top food distributors. The system allows operators to deliver temperature-critical goods by refrigerated straight truck in remote markets up to 250 miles from a distribution center, eliminating the need for cross-docking or regional warehouses.

With the system, pre-loaded, refrigerated, or freezer straight truck bodies are line-hauled in multiples via semitrailer to a regional market. Bodies are demounted in a drop yard and stand on retractable legs. Next, locally domiciled straight  trucks mount individual bodies for their routes and immediately begin their deliveries. The trailer driver mounts the empty bodies from the previous day and returns to the distribution center for reloading.

The system’s demountable cargo bodies are 100% interchangeable between the specialized semi-trailer chassis and straight trucks. Bodies are ideal for deliveries to medium and smaller companies that require mixed-pallet or hand-truck-to-store service. Goods picked and loaded for each customer location travel directly from a centralized distribution center to the customer’s refrigerated display in the same truck body with no additional handling. The system also simplifies inventory management, streamlines loading, and can be operated at the regional market by non-CDL drivers.

Warehouse on Wheels System components consist of specialized semitrailers that can mount and demount multiple straight-truck bodies; straight-truck chassis equipped with a hydraulic lift and locking system to facilitate mounting and demounting bodies; and straight truck bodies with a special base frame and integrated retractable legs. Each body is built to customer specifications with a dedicated fuel tank that powers the refrigeration unit recessed into the top of the body. There’s also a connection for shore power. Both refrigerated and dry bodies can be line-hauled simultaneously on the same trailer, and straight trucks can also be equipped with walk-ramps and lift gates.

Find out more via phone at 1-800-254-3643, by email at sales@demount.com, or access www.demount.com.