3 min read - 5 Oct, 2026
ArrowXL invests in 45 British-built trailers from Don-Bur
ArrowXL has invested in 45 new Don-Bur lifting deck trailers, introducing a new double-deck configuration to its fleet that increases carrying capacity while providing greater flexibility for mixed-height loads and inbound collections.
Having previously operated step-frame double-deck trailers, ArrowXL approached Don-Bur to explore an alternative solution that could increase stillage capacity while better accommodating the varied requirements of its operation.
Using Don-Bur’s Adapt concept as the basis, the specification features a three-quarter-length lifting deck towards the front of the trailer, retaining a large full-height loading area immediately inside the rear doors.
ArrowXL handles a diverse range of large and bulky consumer products, including white goods, furniture, beds, mattresses, TVs and other household and garden products, resulting in considerable variation in the height and dimensions of individual loads.
Home delivery specialist ArrowXL has expanded its fleet with 45 new British-built Don-Bur lifting deck trailers / Picture: Don-Bur
The electro-hydraulically powered upper deck has an 8,000kg uniformly distributed load capacity, while the full-height rear area provides valuable additional space for taller products, such as large refrigerators and freezers, that cannot be accommodated beneath the raised deck.
Compared with ArrowXL’s previous step-frame double-deck configuration, the Adapt layout creates an additional 18% of usable floor space compared to its current fleet.
The location of the tall-load area also provides an operational advantage. In a traditional step-frame double-deck configuration, the tallest load space is positioned towards the front over the swan-neck. With Adapt, the full-height area is instead retained immediately inside the rear doors.
This means the majority of the trailer can be loaded while awaiting late-arriving taller products. These can then be added through the rear doors without disrupting the remainder of the load, providing greater flexibility in the loading sequence.
Built on Don-Bur’s Adapt concept, the new design features a sloped roof profile, a full-height rear loading area, and delivers 18% more usable floor space / Picture: Don-Bur
The body profile has also been tailored to suit ArrowXL’s operation. At 4.95m overall height towards the front, the roof slopes down towards the rear to provide access beneath lower loading bay canopies at supplier sites, typically designed to accommodate conventional single-deck trailers.
The reduced rear height enables the trailers to undertake full-load inbound collections from locations where access could otherwise be restricted for a high double-deck trailer, further increasing the operational versatility of the fleet.
Daniel Challinor, sales and commercial director at Don-Bur, said: “Adapt was developed to provide greater flexibility where operators need to accommodate a varied load profile. The ArrowXL fleet is a great example of how that concept can be configured around the specific demands of an individual operation.”
Headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, Don-Bur employs a flexible workforce of 550 and generates an annual group turnover of £100m. Its vertically integrated divisions include a 24-acre manufacturing facility, a curtains and load restraint department, an in-house graphics house, a parts division, and three after-sales service sites offering repairs, servicing, MOT preparation, and refurbishment.
