Sloanebuilt, a leading manufacturer of custom rigid bodies and truck trailers in Australia, is moving toward more sustainable aluminum trailer construction by switching to LocAl® lower carbon aluminum from Capral Aluminium. This includes the extruded and rolled products used extensively in their aluminum trailer builds.
“We view this as an exciting and important move for Sloanebuilt,” said Fred Marano, managing director of Sloanebuilt. “Sloanebuilt trailers are used by some of the largest transport fleets in Australia, servicing some of the largest businesses in Australia across a wide range of industry sectors. As more and more businesses prioritize decarbonization, the ability to offer a lower carbon option for trailer builds is becoming increasingly important. This is a simple change Sloanebuilt can make that has a huge impact on the total carbon emissions associated with our builds without compromising the quality, durability, or performance of our trailers.”
Aluminum has increasingly become a popular material in the transport sector due to its strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance. By replacing traditional steel and cast-iron components with lightweight aluminum, the weight of a vehicle’s body and chassis can be reduced by up to 50% — directly translating into lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions. In addition, decreasing the weight of trucks and trailers allows for increased payloads, making shipping more efficient.
However, primary aluminum production can be carbon intensive, with significant variations in the carbon emissions generated by smelters depending on the power sources and electrolysis technologies they use. Around 60% of the aluminum sector’s greenhouse gas emissions comes from the electricity consumed during the aluminum smelting process.
As a result, carbon emissions in primary aluminum production range from under 4 kg CO2e/kg Al to over 20 kg CO2e/kg Al — which is largely dependent upon the energy sources used. The current global average carbon emission for primary aluminum is approximately 13.9 kg CO2e/kg Al.
Capral introduced LocAl, a lower-carbon aluminum option across locally extruded aluminum products in October 2022 and extended this low-carbon option to its rolled products in November 2023. At 8 kg CO2e/kg Al, the LocAl Green product has substantially lower carbon emissions than the current global average for primary aluminum.
Sloanebuilt has been designing and manufacturing heavy vehicle trailers for over 35 years. Part of the the company’s quality commitment is that suppliers of materials and components used in Sloanebuilt trailers must pass stringent performance criteria. Therefore, durability, reliability, and increasingly, sustainability are critical factors in the team’s material selections. Recognizing the significance of sustainable manufacturing in the transport industry, the business did not hesitate to make the industry-leading move to switch all its aluminum purchases to this cleaner, greener option.
“Sloanebuilt’s commitment to supporting the Australian economy and using locally sourced materials is part of their ethos,” noted Mark Murray, Capral industrial solutions state manager NSW. “I’m not surprised they are the first trailer manufacturer in Australia to switch to locally supplied lower carbon aluminium for their builds, making them a clear industry leader in this space.”
Sloanebuilt’s dedication to sustainability goes beyond just their choice of materials. They have implemented various sustainable manufacturing practices, including energy-efficient processes, waste reduction initiatives, and responsible sourcing. By integrating sustainability into every aspect of their business, Sloanebuilt is setting a new standard for the industry and leading the way in environmentally conscious manufacturing within the Australian heavy-vehicle transport sector.