Thirst quencher on tour - with lightweight body for maximum payload
March 2025 - Schmitz Cargobull has handed over six ecoCHAMP LTO lightweight curtainsiders from BERGERecotrail® to PepsiCo Germany. The wheelbase of the new vehicles has been shortened to maximise the payload without overloading the tractor's drive axle. This is particularly important when the trailers are used with electric tractors, or with a full payload.
The official vehicle handover took place in February 2025 at the Rodgau/Germany branch in the presence of Adrian Burlacu, Transport Specialist at PepsiCo and Jörg Irsfeld, Director International Key Account Management, Schmitz Cargobull.
In addition, PepsiCo has put a further six BERGERecotrail® lightweight vehicles in combination with e-trucks into operation via a rental company. Thanks to their high payload capacity, the BERGERecotrail® lightweight semi-trailers are particularly suitable for transporting beverages.
"We are delighted to be expanding our fleet with the lightweight ecoCHAMP LTO from Berger. They offer the highest possible payload, and at the same time help us to reduce CO2 emissions in the fleet. The innovative lightweight design and the advantages that the shortened wheelbase also offers in terms of truck manoeuvrability perfectly fulfil our requirements for efficient and sustainable transport solutions," says Burlacu."
The ecoCHAMP LTO is an outstanding example of the innovative strength and technical expertise of the BERGERecotrail® brand in the field of lightweight construction. These vehicles set new standards in terms of efficiency 2025-116 and sustainability and underline our joint commitment to advanced transport solutions," adds Irsfeld.a
Innovative strength and technical expertise
The ecoCHAMP LTO, with a tare weight from 4.7 tonnes, is the versatile all-rounder among light vehicles. The option of shortening the trailer's wheelbase prevents the drive axle from being overloaded when using heavy tractor units and e-trucks, while utilising the full payload. Thanks to its high payload, the new ecoCHAMP LTO can reduce the number of journeys by up to 10 per cent and is ideal for use in combination with an electrically powered tractor unit.
The special BERGERecotrail® lightweight semi-trailers have been available via the Schmitz Cargobull sales network since the beginning of 2024. The Schmitz Cargobull Service Partner network also ensures the supply of spare parts throughout Europe as well as the use of other Schmitz Cargobull services, such as financing, insurance and the installation as standard of the TrailerConnect® telematics system. This includes a tyre pressure monitoring system with autolocation function.
PepsiCo is a manufacturer of luxury food brands and one of the global market leaders in the convenience food and beverage sector. PepsiCo products are consumed daily by consumers in over 200 countries and regions worldwide. Several of its iconic brands each have estimated annual global retail sales of more than $92 billion. For more than 70 years, PepsiCo has been firmly anchored in Northern Europe, supplying food and beverages to numerous European countries.
Caption: Pleased about the partnership: from left: Adrian Burlacu, Transport Specialist at PepsiCo and Jörg Irsfeld, Director International Key Account Management, Schmitz Cargobull at the vehicle handover
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 2.6 billion euros in the 2022/23 financial year. The international production network currently comprises ten plants in Germany, Lithuania, Spain, England, Turkey, Slovakia and Australia.
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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Image 1: Schmitz Cargobull at the vehicle handover
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Image 2: Six new Berger ecoCHAMP LTO lightweight curtainsiders
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Press Release: Six new Berger ecoCHAMP LTO lightweight curtainsiders in operation for PepsiCo Germany
