Schmitz Cargobull marks the production of its 2,000,000th axle   - Fleet Transport

“The fact that we have produced as many as two million of our own axles over the past 20 years highlights the quality and reliability of our technology and demonstrates that our axles meet our customers’ high standards and deliver an impressive performance,” explained Schweitzer. “This is also reflected in the results of the recent reader survey conducted by ETM publishers, which saw the Schmitz Cargobull axle being voted number 1 by readers and users.”

The axle plays a key role in determining a trailer’s running costs and economic efficiency. This is why Schmitz Cargobull has continuously enhanced its axles and running gears, along with the production facilities that build them. A key milestone in this process was the creation of a fully automated, digitally controlled axle production process, which was implemented at Altenberge in 2023 as part of the strategy to transform Schmitz Cargobull plants into “smart factories”. The axles produced in Altenberge also supply the company’s production sites in Vreden (D), Gotha (D), Panevėžys (LT), Adapazarı (TR), Zaragoza (E) and Manchester (UK). Around 95 percent of all trailers from Altenberge and over 90 percent of vehicles across the Group are equipped with Schmitz Cargobull’s in-house axle.

The Schmitz Cargobull axle has a broad range of products, covering almost every axle variant. In addition to the standard axle with 22.5” disc brakes, the range also includes a special axle for high-volume trailers that comes with 19.5” disc brakes and a self-steering axle, which impresses with an improved cornering performance and reduced tyre wear. Axles with drum brakes are also available to meet requirements from other markets.

One of the highlights in the portfolio is an electric generator axle, which is used in the all-electric S.KOe COOL refrigerated semi-trailer. This innovative axle regenerates energy while the trailer is moving, which extends the operating period of the cooling unit, further increasing the refrigerated vehicle’s efficiency. In the 2023/24 financial year, around 124,000 Schmitz Cargobull axles were produced in total.