Damage at the dock
Castle Donington's distribution sites house some of the country's big retail and logistics operations. The East Midlands Distribution Centre, built on the old power station site with a dedicated railhead, has national retailers among its tenants, and by 2021 ten of the eleven warehouse plots at East Midlands Gateway, immediately north of the airport, were let, largely to retail, parcel and logistics businesses. A curtainsider on that kind of work spends much of its life at docks, and that is where most curtain and body damage starts: a forklift through the side, a buckle crushed against a bay, a strap that has finally worn through, a corner clipped while reversing. None of it looks serious from the cab, but each one can stop the trailer being loaded and sent on its way.
Load security on the M1
Trailers leaving the Gateway join the M1 at junction 24, its road access. A torn curtain or a buckle that won't fasten can't hold a load the way DVSA's guidance on load security expects, and damaged fittings can be picked up at a roadside check, stopping the journey on the spot. Small tears also grow quickly at motorway speed, so a split that would be a quick repair in the yard can become a replacement curtain within a few runs.
Welding for frames and fittings
Welding repairs cover bodies, frames, brackets and fittings on trailers, rigids and light commercial bodies. Body or structural damage can fail a PMI or the annual test, so it is worth putting right before the inspection date rather than after it, when it would cost a failed sheet and a second visit. We also repair body panels, gates and doors, and tell you honestly when a damaged part is worth repairing and when replacement makes more sense.
Booking a repair
Larger repairs and welding are done at our workshop at Calke Mill Farm, Ashby Road, Melbourne, open for planned work Monday to Friday, 07:30 to 17:00, and some smaller jobs can be handled on site. Pairing the repair with a service or inspection means the trailer comes off the road once. Ring 01332 916028 with the trailer, a description of the damage and a photo if you have one. If the damage was found on a walkaround and the trailer is due out, say so, and we will tell you straight away whether it is safe to load.
