“When you buy a new bull for your herd, it is a well-considered decision which will move the horizon on your farm with new progeny entering the herd. In the same way we move horizons with these speciality trailers,” says Nic Keyser about his NAMPO 2019 exhibit.

“We thrive on the dreams of famers as inspiration to create innovative, unique and ergonomic trailers by employing scientific design principles and structural integrity. We set a standard for the industry and one day in the future all trailers will be constructed on these lines,” says Nic.

“Through the years Nic Trailers has always been at the forefront of technology and new developments and that will not change soon.”

Nic says safety standards stagnated in the seventies when bakkies were powered by 50 kW engines. Today one buys a bakkie with a 100 to 150 kW engine and the challenge is to design a trailer that can still stop safely when a farmer is in a real hurry in his bakkie towing a trailer.

“I don’t say he is going to do it, or try to do it, but he can drive at 150 km/h and, if he wants to make a fast stop, I still don’t want him and his bull to be injured,” says Nic. “People must understand that a one tonner does not mean you can only load a ton on it. You can probably load more but you can only stop safely with one ton.”

“The same goes for a trailer. The classification of an axle is determine on the basis of its braking ability and not the carrying capacity. Our policy is to add a 30% reserve at all times with regard to safety.”

A Nic-trailer does not swing and stays solid, even after many years and many kilometres of transporting many tons, and has a soft heart for animals. One of the important aspects is the handling and transfer of tension and weight through the full structure of the trailer. The chassis is not rigid and the tension on the cross pipes varies from the bottom to the top. There is a difference in tension between the bottom and top pipes, thus imitating a spring that can absorb shocks and vibration. This tension spread does not weaken the structure, which happens with rigid trailers.

Another fact is that 355 steel is used. It contains more copper and is consequently softer; thus welding takes place at lower temperatures preventing the pipe to break next to the welded joint. The steel is also lighter, which helps to build in more safety measures and comfort for animals. The 4,8-metre trailer for four bulls, for example, weighs only 800 kg.

There are 147 different models to choose from because Nic knows that animals, farmers and farms are not all the same.

If the name Nic Trailers is not on it, it is not a Nic! Go to www.nictrailers.co.za on the internet to read about the full range that is available, or phone Nic Keyser on 082-859-0904.