Kögel Cargo

The Kögel Cargo is the curtain-sided semi-trailer in Kögel’s tarpaulin-vehicle range. Kögel’s product page publishes ten named Cargo variants and gives each a technically feasible fifth-wheel load, a technically feasible axle-unit load, a technically feasible total weight, a tare weight in basic configuration and a clear loading length. The figures in the overview above are the CARGO P90, the base three-axle variant.

Overview and generations

The Cargo in production today is a vehicle of Kögel’s NOVUM generation. Kögel announced the NOVUM-generation Cargo on 20 August 2018, ahead of IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018, and its company brochure places the introduction of the NOVUM generation in the 2018 part of its history timeline. The Cargo nameplate is older than the NOVUM generation; Kögel’s current documents do not give the year it was introduced.

Kögel’s 2018 launch release described what the NOVUM generation changed on the Cargo against the version before it:

• an optimised external frame profile and an improved body;
• a new air and lighting console on the front wall, which transfers the body’s forces into the frame via the side members;
• a new external frame profile that, in Kögel’s words, greatly increases the accessibility of the VarioFix lashing points;
• variable lattice pockets;
• 13 pairs of lashing shackles as standard, now with grip hooks at the sides, each with a tensile force of 2,500 kg.

Kögel’s NOVUM brochure of December 2021 lists further generation features: the VarioFix steel perforated external frame moved inwards with an optimised lashing angle, a new end plate at the rear that is 40 mm narrower and stronger, T-shaped lashing brackets, a levering aid for opening the tarpaulins, a complete stop surface for loading from the side, stake fields of equal size so that all insertion lattices are the same length, and door locks that open with one hand. The same brochure states that all versions of the Cargo are available in the NOVUM generation.

In its 2022 release for Transport Compleet Hardenberg, Kögel showed a NOVUM Cargo preconfigured for the Benelux market and repeated the 5,920 kg tare of the basic version. At Solutrans 2025 in Lyon, Kögel exhibited the Cargo with a reinforced floor construction; that page does not give figures for it.

Kögel also lists a Chassis Cargo for bodybuilders, in versions with a 90 mm or 120 mm frame neck, a 90 mm two-axle version and a 120 mm Coil version, according to its company brochure.

Body

The product page lists three Cargo body variants.

Body	What Kögel lists
CO	Lateral sliding tarpaulin with tarpaulin tensioners on the external frame; sliding roof; portal doors; EN 12642 XL certificate without slats. Options: customs seal (TIR); lifting roof for a higher through-loading height from the side, with an L-profile roof rail; FlexiUse body
CS	Lateral sliding tarpaulin and drop sides, tarpaulin closed with cords or tensioners; sliding roof; portal doors; EN 12642 XL certificate without slats. Options: customs seal (TIR); FlexiUse body
FastSlider	Sliding side tarpaulin with micro-stanchions; sliding roof; portal doors

The FlexiUse option raises or lowers the interior height by 200 mm. In the 2018 launch release, Kögel described the FlexiUse body on the Cargo exhibit as eight front settings of 25 mm each and four rear settings of 50 mm each, for a clear internal height of 2,700–2,900 mm at front and rear.

Kögel’s tarpaulin brochure lists as basic equipment of its tarpaulin vehicles adjustable slat pockets set on a grid in solid mouldings on the front and rear panels, powder-coated front and rear panels including the doors in a colour of the customer’s choice, and a sliding roof that opens from back to front as standard and can be made to slide open from both sides as an option; a folding end bar at the rear gives a load-through height that the brochure calls almost as high as the interior height beneath the roof. The product page describes the roof tarpaulin as an XL-certified integral tarpaulin.

The optional Strong & Go body combines the NOVUM body with a reinforced roof tarpaulin and a side tarpaulin with an integrated restraint system. Kögel says it complies with Daimler Guideline 9.5 without insertable slats. The December 2021 NOVUM brochure adds that, for certified beverage transport of single- and double-layer crates on standard pallets, the Strong & Go body needs no lattices, against three or four rows in the standard NOVUM body.

Frame and floor

The frame is a welded ladder frame with through-type cross-members. Kögel’s product page states corrosion protection by Nano-Ceramic with KTL (cathodic dip-paint) coating followed by UV painting, and a ten-year guarantee against rusting through on the vehicle frame.

The frame variants differ in the frame neck, the height of the front section of the frame. Kögel’s tarpaulin brochure states that the 90 mm neck, with a technically feasible fifth-wheel load of 12,000 kg for two-axle tractors, allows a higher body and a larger load volume; that a 120 mm neck with a technically feasible fifth-wheel load of 15,000 kg is available for three-axle tractors; and that the Nordic version has a reinforced 120 mm neck, a technically feasible fifth-wheel load of 18,000 kg and a longer wheelbase. On the Nordic P120 the product page adds an extended swing-through radius to the rear and an axle unit set further back, which Kögel says optimise it for three-axle tractors.

The wooden floor is laid between the outer frame and the longitudinal beams and is rated for a forklift axle load of 7,200 kg as standard, with 8,000, 9,000 and 9,500 kg as options.

The Coil variants have a frame with a coil recess. The coil trough is built to VDI 2700 and takes steel coils and strips of 900 to 2,100 mm diameter, with 5-tonne heavy-duty lashing rings in the trough area, according to the tarpaulin brochure. The Cargo is fitted with combination steel rails for securing loads with wedges and for paper rail rollers.

Axles, suspension and brakes

Kögel’s current product page and tarpaulin brochure do not name the axle fitted to the Cargo. At the 2018 launch, Kögel stated that the NOVUM-generation Cargo was fitted with Kögel KTA trailer axles as standard, with a “double suspension” of a soft rubber bearing and a spring-steel trailing arm.

In December 2020 Kögel presented the KTA NOVUM as the axle for all Kögel trailers of the NOVUM generation. Against the first-generation KTA, Kögel lists lighter brakes, direct clamping of the axle tube by the wishbones and two guide bolts instead of four, and describes a weight-optimised single-tappet brake mechanism with KTL-coated brake calliper carriers. The NOVUM brochure of December 2021 gives the KTA NOVUM’s data, which Kögel states as approximate values:

KTA NOVUM	Kögel figure
Brake	Haldex DBT 22LT disc brake
Brake disc diameter	430 mm
Wheel connection	10/280/335/22 × 1.5
Wheel size	22.5”/120
Sprung centre	1,300 mm
Wheel track	2,040 mm
Wishbone lengths	500/385 mm
Driving height range	260–300 (no unit given)
Air suspension bellows diameter	300 mm
Lift axle	Yes
Axle load	9,000 kg

Variants, weights and loading lengths

Kögel’s product page lists these ten variants. “Technically feasible” is Kögel’s qualifier on every load and weight, and the tare is Kögel’s “in basic configuration”. The table follows the German product page, which agrees with the English one.

Variant	Frame neck, axles	Fifth-wheel load	Axle-unit load	Total weight	Tare	Clear loading length
CARGO P90	90 mm, three axles	12,000 kg	27,000 kg	39,000 kg	5,920 kg	13,620 mm
CARGO P120	120 mm, three axles	15,000 kg	27,000 kg	42,000 kg	5,920 kg	13,620 mm
CARGO Coil	120 mm, three axles	15,000 kg	27,000 kg	39,000 kg	6,650 kg	13,620 mm
CARGO 2-axle	90 mm, two axles	12,000 kg	18,000 kg	30,000 kg	5,400 kg	13,620 mm
CARGO Rail P90	90 mm, three axles	12,000 kg	27,000 kg	39,000 kg	5,920 kg	13,620 mm
CARGO Rail P120	120 mm, three axles	15,000 kg	27,000 kg	39,000 kg	5,920 kg	13,620 mm
CARGO Coil Rail	120 mm, three axles	15,000 kg	27,000 kg	39,000 kg	6,900 kg	13,620 mm
CARGO Nordic P120	120 mm, three axles, extended wheelbase	18,000 kg	27,000 kg	45,000 kg	6,060 kg	13,620 mm
CARGO EuroTrailer (Lang-Lkw Type 1)	120 mm, three axles	15,000 kg	27,000 kg	42,000 kg	6,520 kg	15,000 mm
CARGO Rail EuroTrailer (Lang-Lkw Type 1)	120 mm, three axles	15,000 kg	27,000 kg	42,000 kg	6,930 kg	15,000 mm

The product page lists a coil trough of 7.2 m or 9 m on the Coil, and a coil trough of 7 m or 9 m on the Rail P90 and the Coil Rail. The Rail variants carry equipment for rail loading, which Kögel describes as making the trailer suitable for loading by crane, for combined rail and road transport.

The axle-unit load is the rating of the axle unit; the fifth-wheel load is the load the trailer may impose on the tractor’s fifth wheel, as the kingpin and fifth wheel explains. Kögel publishes no payload figure for any Cargo variant. The P90’s total weight less its tare is 33,080 kg, our subtraction from Kögel’s two figures; it describes the trailer’s own ratings, while the legal limit on the road applies to the whole combination, as set out in gross vehicle and gross combination weight.

Kögel’s December 2021 NOVUM brochure listed the Cargo versions of that time with their vehicle identification (VID) and internal type designations:

VID	Version (2021 brochure)	Internal designation
915110	Sliding tarpaulin CO, CS, TIR	S24P90/1100
915115	Rail-loadable, sliding tarpaulin CO, CS, TIR	S24P90H/1100
915112	Sliding tarpaulin CO, CS, TIR, 2-axle	S18P90/1100
915120	Sliding tarpaulin CO, CS, TIR	S24P120/1070
915130	Rail-loadable, sliding tarpaulin CO, CS, TIR	S24P120H/1070
915140	Coil, sliding tarpaulin CO, CS, TIR	S24P120C/1105
915145	Coil, rail-loadable, sliding tarpaulin CO, CS, TIR	S24P120CH/1105
915181	Nordic, sliding tarpaulin CO, CS, TIR	S24P120/1070
915210	TIR, drop side with full tarpaulin	SN24P90/1100
915320	Euro Trailer, sliding tarpaulin CO, extended by 1.38 m	S24P120L/1070
915365	“Russland Trailer”, sliding tarpaulin CO, extended by 2.7 m	S24P120L/1130

The brochure’s legend defines “PXXX” as the frame neck height in millimetres.

EuroTrailer versions

The two EuroTrailer variants have a 15,000 mm clear loading length. Kögel’s tarpaulin brochure describes the EURO TRAILER as 1.38 m longer than the standard semi-trailer, with a clear loading length of up to 15 metres, equivalent to 37 Euro pallets, and states that it can be registered in EU countries under a derogation regulation. Kögel’s company brochure gives the EuroTrailer combination a total length of approx. 17.88 m and says the extra length gives space for up to four additional pallets in the Cargo and Mega, showing 33 Euro pallets on a standard trailer of approx. 13.62 m against 37 on the EuroTrailer.

Equipment and options

The optional equipment Kögel lists for the P90, P120 and Nordic P120 covers RoRo equipment for ferries and ships, steel transport (stanchion pockets, stanchions, overlength), paper transport, beverage transport, automotive, equipment for wide loads, chemicals (octabin) and tyre transport. The Coil list is the same without paper transport; the EuroTrailer lists RoRo for use on barges, steel transport (stanchion pockets, stanchions), beverage transport, automotive, chemicals (octabin) and tyre transport.

Further options named on the product page and in the tarpaulin brochure:

• KÖGEL COILFIX, a form-fit securing system for coils and slit strips with insertion stakes to the SIDMAR guidelines;
• RoRo Strong equipment for ferry transport;
• KÖGEL Telematics, which maps position, coupling status, EBS data and door opening status among other data in a web portal, and KIT (Kögel Intelligent Trailer) for digital vehicle documentation;
• a customs seal (TIR), rack-mounted storage for a forklift carried on the trailer, side storage for eight stanchions and a drive-under tail lift, listed in the tarpaulin brochure’s additional options.

The 2018 launch release described the Cargo’s optional load securing at the time as up to 24 pairs of lashing shackles of 2,500 kg tensile force each on the VarioFix external frame, and eight stake pocket strips flush with the loading platform, each with four stake pockets between the external frame and the side members and ten between the side members in the middle. It described the heavy-duty RoRo equipment on the exhibit as a diagonal reinforcement between the side members and the external frame, a 10 mm closed sliding plate, a 10 mm fifth-wheel plate, two suction valves and four pairs of heavy-duty lashing rings with 12,000 kg of test force. The same exhibit carried optional flashing side marker lights, the Kögel EasyFix sliding-roof stopper and an axle lift.

The release also introduced the Kögel FastFix textile lattice, shown in one of the stake fields: a load-securing lattice of flexible belt material weighing 495 g, using a toggle fastener to attach to and detach from the stakes quickly. It named further individual features on the same exhibit: a 12 mm thick, 1,250 mm high textured-coated board on the front wall; a rear portal with steel posts; reinforced steel rubber bumpers; an 8 mm thick transverse steel angle across the full width, mounted in the middle of the frame end plate; locking cam protection; three large tool boxes; and Kögel LUXIMA multi-chamber locking lights.

Source notes

The figures shown are the CARGO P90, the base three-axle curtainsider, and the tare is Kögel’s own “in basic configuration”. Kögel lists ten named Cargo variants, all against the same 13,620 mm deck except the EuroTrailer versions, and labels every load and weight “technically feasible”. The P120, with a 120 mm frame neck, is listed at a 15,000 kg fifth-wheel load and a 42,000 kg total; the Nordic P120, with a reinforced 120 mm neck, reaches 18,000 kg and 45,000 kg on an extended wheelbase at a 6,060 kg tare; the two-axle Cargo drops to an 18,000 kg bogie and a 30,000 kg total at 5,400 kg. The bogie rating stays at 27,000 kg across every three-axle variant; the Coil, the Rail P120 and the Coil Rail pair a 15,000 kg fifth-wheel load with a 39,000 kg total. The tare is 6,650 kg for the Coil with its 7.2 m or 9 m coil trough, 6,900 kg for the Coil Rail, 6,520 kg for the EuroTrailer, whose 15,000 mm deck Kögel describes as 1.38 m longer than the standard semi-trailer. The wooden floor is rated for a 7,200 kg forklift axle load as standard, optionally 8,000, 9,000 or 9,500 kg, and Kögel says the optional Strong & Go body meets Daimler Guideline 9.5 without insert slats.