IN Brief:
- MM Packaging Deeside expects the new electric shunt truck to cut carbon emissions by 15 tonnes a year.
- The installation combines solar charging, automated coupling, and Joloda-assisted loading and unloading.
- Trailer unloading times have fallen to three minutes, with the workflow kept at ground level.
MM Packaging Deeside has added an electric shunt truck to its site operation in north Wales, linking decarbonisation work with a wider push on yard automation and trailer handling efficiency. The vehicle, introduced in partnership with Farrall’s Group, is being used to move materials between the company’s manufacturing site and warehouse and is expected to cut carbon emissions by 15 tonnes a year.
The operation covers a short but constant 1,200-yard transfer route, where speed, repeatability, and safe trailer movement matter more than headline mileage. Farrall’s Group is charging the vehicle using solar energy from its own facility, while the installation also includes a Jost KKS automated coupling system that allows drivers to control and monitor coupling and uncoupling from the cab. Loading and unloading has also been automated further through a Joloda Hydraroll system, reducing manual handling in a 24/7 operation.
MM Packaging said trailers can now be emptied in three minutes and that each stage of the workflow is operated at ground level, reducing exposure to common yard-side risks. Three trailers have been incorporated into the Joloda system, and the electric shunt truck itself was supplied by Volvo truck dealership Thomas Hardie Commercials. The result is a site project that combines carbon reduction with measurable operational changes rather than treating fleet electrification as a standalone exercise.
Julian Freeman, managing director of MM Packaging, said the investment underlined the company’s environmental commitment while also supporting further automation at the site. Matthew Farrall, managing director of Farrall’s Group, said the project aligned carbon reduction and productivity goals, adding that it marked an early step in MM Packaging’s wider electric vehicle transition. MM Packaging Deeside supplies cartonboard packaging into sectors including confectionery, cereal, frozen food, beverage, tissue, and pet food, making site reliability a central part of its production flow.
