Schmitz Cargobull’s innovative refrigerated box body semi-trailer, the S.KOe COOL, has triumphed at the Cold Chain Federation’s annual awards, held last week (20 March) at the University of Warwick as part of the Cold Chain Climate Summit.
Judges of the category, which recognises game-changing innovations or projects that will lead to a more sustainable cold chain, picked the reefer as their Technological Breakthrough – Sustainable Innovation winner in the Refrigerated Transport category.
Stephen Mallett, Head of Sales for Schmitz Cargobull UK & Ireland, says: “Helping operators to run efficient, profitable and sustainable businesses is ultimately what we are aiming to do. It’s therefore immensely satisfying to receive recognition for our ground-breaking S.KOe COOL, which is proving to be a key tool for hauliers looking to mitigate their environmental impact without compromising their refrigerated transport operations.
“We have been delighted by the strong interest in the S.KOe from operators and the incredible uptake of our demo trailers in the UK and Ireland, which are currently fully utilised for the rest of 2025. The data we have collated from nine months of trials has been nothing short of astounding, we’ve seen our demo units surpass nearly all operators’ expectations in demanding environments and set some very high standards in autonomous runtime.”
Mallett added that the data collected to date not only made the case for the environmental benefits of going all electric but how by tweaking loading practices, operators can maximise efficiencies and protect the cold chain.
Officially launched in both the UK and Ireland during March 2024, Schmitz Cargobull’s fully-electric refrigerated S.KOe COOL delivers sustainable and emission-free transportation.
The complete package of a semi-trailer with S.CU ep85 refrigeration unit, battery system, power electronics, electric generator axle and TrailerConnect® telematics plus additional digital services, work in unison to lower emissions and reduce fuel consumption, as well as cutting the total cost of ownership.
Several operators across the UK and Ireland are already reaping the benefits of the zero-tailpipe emission semi-trailer. These include Northern Irish hauliers Manfreight and Hendersons, while Marine & Cargo were the first to put the S.KOe COOL into operation in England. The Buckinghamshire-based firm is utilising the reefer exclusively on its contract with S.T.I. (UK) Ltd, delivering temperature-controlled goods to McDonald’s distribution centres.
Andrew Marshall, Managing Director at Marine & Cargo, says: “We are taking approximately 200 litres of diesel a week out of our operation, which is what our standard refrigerated trailers will use to keep the goods at the precise temperatures they need to be. To eliminate that with this electric unit is a significant saving we’re achieving already.”
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Editor’s notes:
About Schmitz Cargobull
Schmitz Cargobull is the leading manufacturer of semi-trailers for temperature-controlled freight, general cargo and bulk goods in Europe and a pioneer in digital solutions for trailer services and improved connectivity. The company also manufactures transport refrigeration machines for refrigerated semi-trailers for temperature-controlled freight transport. With a comprehensive range of services from financing, spare parts supply, service contracts and telematics solutions to used vehicle trading, Schmitz Cargobull supports its customers in optimising their total cost of ownership (TCO) and digital transformation.
Schmitz Cargobull was founded in 1892 in Münsterland, Germany. The family-run company produces around 60,000 vehicles per year with over 6,000 employees and generated a turnover of around 2.4 billion euros in the 2023/24 financial year. The international production network currently comprises ten plants in Germany, Lithuania, Spain, England, Turkey, Slovakia and Australia.
Visit Schmitz Cargobull UK’s dedicated online press room at https://gk.news/schmitzcargobull
Press Contact UK:
Dan Jones or Chris Druce
Garnett Keeler PR | +44 (0)20 8647 4467
Email: dan.jones@garnettkeeler.com or chris.druce@garnettkeeler.com
The Schmitz Cargobull press team:
Anna Stuhlmeier +49 2558 81-1340 I anna.stuhlmeier@cargobull.com
Andrea Beckonert +49 2558 81-1321 I andrea.beckonert@cargobull.com
Silke Hesener +49 2558 81-1501 I silke.hesener@cargobull.com
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