Schmitz Cargobull S.KO COOL SMART

Schmitz Cargobull’s own company timeline dates this trailer in one line: “2018 — S.KO COOL SMART”. It is a Sattelkoffer, a box semi-trailer — a rigid, self-supporting insulated body rather than a curtain — built for temperature-controlled freight and sold with the maker’s own S.CU refrigeration unit on the front bulkhead.

Overview and generations

The S.KO COOL SMART is the SMART-equipment member of Schmitz’s wider S.KO COOL box-body family, and the maker’s current brief information for that family states the trailer is Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certified and that TrailerConnect telematics is fitted “ab Werk in jedem S.KO COOL” — ex-factory in every S.KO COOL.

One qualification comes before any figure. Schmitz sells the S.KO COOL SMART with three internal body lengths — 13.4, 14.7 and 16.8 m, with 16.5 and 17.8 m and a 3 m-interior MEGA on request — and publishes weights and dimensions for exactly one: the EXECUTIVE PLUS package on the 13.4 m body, on 385/65 R 22.5 tyres. Everything under “Dimensions and weights” below belongs to that configuration. That table appears three times in the maker’s documents — English and German brief information sheets, and HTML on the UK site — and all three agree.

One more thing about that table, because it governs every dimension quoted below. Sixteen of its twenty-six rows are printed with “approx.” in front of the value — that count is ours, taken row by row off the maker’s own sheet: all four lengths, all three widths, the body and overall heights, the rear loading height, the rear door aperture and both coupling heights. Only the wheelbase (R) 7,600 mm, the axle spacing (W) 1,310 mm, the front overhang (F) 1,600 mm and the ride height 410 mm are given clean, alongside the five weights and the tyre size. The dimensions below are the maker’s approximate figures.

Two changes are documented in the maker’s own sequence of sheets, both attributed to Schmitz rather than inferred here. Insulation: the 2018 S.KO brochure and both EXECUTIVE PLUS sheets give the COMPLETE version’s K-value as 0.33 W/m²K; the current brief information for the S.KO COOL family gives “a k-value from 0.295 W/m²K from series production” — a different figure from the 2018 one, on Schmitz’s own account. The refrigeration unit itself: Schmitz states its newer S.CU Premium unit is up to 10% lower in fuel consumption and 50 kg lighter than the previous generation of Schmitz Cargobull refrigeration units, footnoted by the maker as the 2017 model year, with a newly decoupled drive unit for quieter running and hermetic sealing of the generator; an “optimised entry-level” version remains available, built for markets with lower fuel qualities and offered only as a MonoTemp unit.

Body

The box is Schmitz’s FERROPLAST panel: a self-supporting, glue-jointed body that the maker states is “exceptionally warp-resistant”, combining a polyurethane hard-foam core with vapour diffusion-tight metal cover layers on both sides. The foam is large-area injected for full bonding with the surface layers, at a moulded density the brochure gives as approx. 55–95 kg/m³, and with the same interior dimensions the metal-faced foam core is up to 12% thicker than a glass-fibre-reinforced-plastic (GRP) equivalent. Schmitz publishes three mechanical figures for the panel, each qualified “depending on panel thickness and material combination”: 10% compression at a pressure load of 50 t/m²; penetration resistance such that a 20 mm ball rebounds without permanent deformation at forces of up to 300 N; and a tensile strength of 320 N/mm² (steel grade StE 320). Optional inner cover layers with “High Dent Resistance” (HDR) are offered against damage from irregular loads, though the brochure notes HDR cannot be combined with all other options. Schmitz states the trailer’s full cladding reduces air resistance across the entire tractor-trailer combination, “saving you up to 4% fuel”, with the same modular construction also simplifying maintenance and reducing repair costs.

The body carries DIN EN 12642 Code XL as standard, the reinforced-body certification that changes what a roadside cargo check expects of the securing inside it. It sits on Schmitz’s MODULOS short chassis: bolted, detachable connections between chassis components for cheaper, easier replacement, with corrosion protection preserved by galvanising the individual parts before assembly, and a 10-year warranty against rust-through. Because the FERROPLAST body is self-supporting, Schmitz states it needs only the short chassis, which lets the body sit directly on the tractor and gives, in the maker’s words, “a higher body height” alongside the improved insulation.

Refrigeration unit and cold chain

The S.CU transport refrigeration unit is an in-house Schmitz Cargobull development, offered as a MonoTemp or MultiTemp system and, on other bodies in the range, as a diesel or an electric drive. The diesel drive is a common-rail engine with a maximum motor output of 19 kW, paired with a generator the maker describes as “optimised for efficiency”, and it complies with the EU’s Stage V emission standard. Schmitz gives no cooling output at any evaporating temperature for the unit in either brochure read for this record; the only output figure published is that 19 kW motor rating, which is not a cooling capacity.

For MultiTemp operation, a compact additional roof evaporator — full body height but only half the trailer’s width — handles the second temperature zone, leaving over half the interior at full loading height. Schmitz states this configuration gives “precise temperature control in a deep-freeze down to -20°C and up to +10°C” across two separate zones. Air is distributed through three flexible cooling ducts under the roof, adjustable by zips where the mobile partition is fitted, and the partition’s refrigerant lines run embedded in foam in the roof — kept out of reach of damage and, Schmitz states, raising the body’s K-value. A longitudinally adjustable strip curtain on the rear door is stated to reduce cooling-air loss when the doors are open.

The control panel, set behind a transparent protective flap on the left side of the unit facing the direction of travel, is configurable in 17 languages and is secured against unauthorised access by an individually-set PIN. The premium version of the unit offers ECO, Normal and Booster operating modes. Schmitz states its evaporator design cuts defrosting cycles by up to 50% compared with a conventional design, by reducing the number of cooling ribs prone to icing at the evaporator’s leading edge.

Two insulation figures are published: the 2018 S.KO brochure and both EXECUTIVE PLUS sheets give 0.33 W/m²K for the COMPLETE version, which the brochure footnotes as available only with a brand-name refrigeration unit fitted ex-factory; the current brief information for the S.KO COOL family gives “a k-value from 0.295 W/m²K from series production”. Neither figure is a tested ATP K coefficient. Schmitz states its trailers comply with ATP class FRC or FNA depending on the application and equipment options, and the S.KO brochure adds that the S.KO COOL SMART is certified for the ATP FRC class by TÜV Süd and Germanischer Lloyd. A TrailerConnect CTU control unit with a certified digital TCI temperature recorder to DIN EN 12830 is supplied as standard.

A separate Pharmaceutical package, certified by Pharmaserv, adds up to four certified temperature sensors — two for MonoTemp or four for MultiTemp operation — each individually calibrated, feeding a digital TCI recorder and monitored through TrailerConnect telematics.

Axles, suspension and brakes

The running gear is Schmitz’s own ROTOS DriveTechnology, built, the maker states, exclusively from components sourced from established brand-name manufacturers, with friction-welded, low-vibration axle hubs aligned for straight running at the assembly stage. MRH (MultiRide Height) pneumatic suspension is fitted as standard, letting the loading height adapt automatically to different ramp heights, with an auto-reset function. Air for brake cooling is drawn in from outside past the hub and directed onto and into the brake disc, which Schmitz states keeps braking performance stable under continuous use and extends pad life. Brake discs are 370 mm in diameter on the 19.5” axle head — described as the weight-optimised, low-cross-section option — and 430 mm on the 22.5” head, described as the standard and HD option for maximum braking performance. The running gear carries a 1,000,000 km or six-year warranty, excluding wear parts.

By the classifying test set out in trailer brakes and EBS — the mass a semi-trailer’s own axles put on the ground, not its plated total — this is an O4. That is our reading; no Schmitz document read here names a category.

The axle count is not a published figure. No Schmitz document opened for this record prints one, so the configuration reads “tri-axle” as a reading rather than a printed count: one axle spacing and one axle unit load in the table, the S.KO brochure’s ROTOS running gear “with self-steering axle as the third axle” — stated to increase the tractor’s manoeuvrability at full payload — the ROTOS page’s note that smaller 370 mm brake discs make the chassis 50 kg lighter on a semi-trailer with three axles, and a 2023 press release calling the electric sibling a three-axle semi-trailer.

Council Directive 96/53/EC caps the sum of the axle weights on a tri-axle of a trailer or semi-trailer by the distance between the axles: Annex I 3.3.1 sets 21 tonnes where that distance is 1.3 m or less, and Annex I 3.3.2 sets 24 tonnes where it is over 1.3 m and up to 1.4 m. Schmitz publishes an axle spacing of 1,310 mm. Reading one against the other — our reading, not a statement by the maker or the legislator — puts the bogie in the second band, at 24 tonnes, against a component rating of 27,000 kg; Article 4(2) leaves member states free to authorise national circulation outside the Annex I weight points. Schmitz also states a shift in centre of gravity under partial loads can be balanced by its Load Spread Program (LSP), which removes load from the trailer’s rear axle to avoid exceeding the permissible load on the tractor’s own drive axle.

Dimensions and weights

All figures below belong to the EXECUTIVE PLUS package on the 13.4 m internal body, on 385/65 R 22.5 tyres, and — except the wheelbase, axle spacing, front overhang and ride height — are printed “approx.” in the source table.

Figure	Value
Overall length (LA)	approx. 13,600 mm
External overall length	approx. 13,550 mm
Internal body length (L)	approx. 13,410 mm
Usable body length (LN)	approx. 13,315 mm
Internal body width (B)	approx. 2,460 mm (approx. 2,490 mm with the optimised loading-width option)
Internal body height (LH)	approx. 2,650 mm (family range 2,350–3,050 mm)
Overall height, unloaded, front	approx. 4,009 mm
Overall height, unloaded, rear	approx. 4,008 mm
Rear loading height, unloaded (H)	approx. 1,279 mm
Wheelbase (R)	7,600 mm
Axle spacing (W)	1,310 mm
Front overhang (F)	1,600 mm
Ride height	410 mm
Rear door aperture, internal	approx. 2,640 × 2,460 mm
Body width (BA), overall	approx. 2,600 mm
Tyres	385/65 R 22.5”
Trailer coupling height, unloaded	approx. 1,140 mm
Trailer coupling height, loaded	approx. 1,115 mm
Empty weight, complete	7,960 kg, “+/- 3%”
Total weight, permissible	39,000 kg
Payload, permissible	31,040 kg
Axle unit load, permissible	27,000 kg
Semi-trailer load, permissible	15,000 kg
Pallet capacity	33 / 36 / 41 Euro pallets or 26 ISO pallets, one figure per body length

Tare, 7,960 kg, is what the trailer weighs empty, and Schmitz prints it with a tolerance, “+/- 3%”, for which the maker’s own table has no separate field; at that tolerance the band runs from 7,721 to 8,199 kg, our arithmetic on the maker’s own tolerance. The 39,000 kg permissible total is what the loaded trailer may weigh, and the 31,040 kg payload is Schmitz’s own subtraction, printed beside the other two and exact against them. The 27,000 kg axle unit load — Aggregatlast in the German original — is what the bogie is rated at, not the total; the 15,000 kg semi-trailer load — Sattellast — is what the coupled trailer imposes on the tractor’s fifth wheel. Adding the last two gives 42,000 kg, three tonnes more than the trailer may itself weigh — an addition that appears in no document: component ratings are ceilings for each part in isolation, the plated total a ceiling for the whole.

Width and height sit against Council Directive 96/53/EC differently. Annex I 1.2 allows 2.60 m of width only for superstructures of conditioned vehicles or conditioned containers or swap bodies, against 2.55 m otherwise; Article 2 defines a conditioned vehicle as one specially equipped for carriage at controlled temperatures and with side walls, inclusive of insulation, each at least 45 mm thick, and Schmitz publishes no side-wall thickness for this trailer in any document read for this record — so whether the published 2,600 mm body width sits inside the definition that grants the higher limit cannot be settled from the maker’s sheets. Annex I 1.3 caps height at 4.00 m for any vehicle; the published 4,009 mm front and 4,008 mm rear overall heights are both printed “approx.”; the front figure is nine millimetres above that cap. Article 4(2) lists height (1.3) among the points a member state may authorise otherwise in national traffic, while Article 4(1) lists width (1.2) among those it may not.

The double-decker system, described under equipment below, is rated by Schmitz to carry up to 66 Euro pallets across its two levels, against 33 on the single deck of the 13.4 m body.

Safety and driver-assistance systems

An SL2 safety light — optional — illuminates braking manoeuvres and lane changes for following traffic at a distance the maker describes as long; a side marking light with a flashing function is offered as additional protection for cyclists and pedestrians. An SL3 safety system — optional — adds electronic door locking that Schmitz states opens only to authorised personnel, combined with TrailerConnect geofencing so door locking stays active while the trailer is on the road and releases only on arrival. A Dynamic Ramp Protection (DRP) system of compressible roller bumpers absorbs impact and forklift-loading movement at the ramp with a dual shock absorber unit; Schmitz states its third-generation DRP combines softer damping from a longer spring travel with a 56 kg weight reduction against the previous generation. An electronic ramp approach system, marketed as TailGUARDlight™ (a registered trademark of WABCO Fahrzeugsysteme GmbH) and optional, gives the driver visual and acoustic signals on the remaining manoeuvring room when reversing and is stated to brake the trailer automatically on reaching the ramp.

Schmitz’s current brief information for the S.KO COOL family states the door-locking system meets “the highest requirement level according to TAPA” (Transported Asset Protection Association), and a separate maker sheet describes a TAPA TSR1-capable security specification for the S.KO COOL platform. Under that specification the security components are, in Schmitz’s own wording, “included ex-factory and optimally matched to one another” on the TAPA TSR1-capable trailer, while an immobiliser, a Body Protect alarm system concealed in the body structure, a concealed acoustic alarm, a 360-degree Bird-Eye-View rear camera, concealed door-contact sensors — which Schmitz states register a door as closed only once both sensors agree — and a TL4 door-locking system controlled by keypad or via TrailerConnect are each marked optional in that sheet. The immobiliser locks the trailer’s wheels within seconds of parking and can be released by keypad at the vehicle or remotely through the TrailerConnect portal; the portal also carries a sabotage mode that reads the trailer’s own sensor network for break-in attempts. Optionally, an Immobilizer against theft or unauthorised movement is offered on the wider S.KO COOL range.

TrailerConnect telematics hardware is fitted ex-factory as standard, with a tyre-pressure monitoring system using autolocation to match each sensor to its wheel position, a door contact switch, and a coupling sensor. The system is stated to record tyre pressure and temperature, axle load, brake pad status, mileage, running-gear status and the refrigeration unit’s operating hours, alongside the temperature data from the cold-chain sensors described above.

Equipment and options

The EXECUTIVE package bundles the S.CU transport refrigeration unit (optionally specified for MultiTemp use) with a Full Service contract for the unit. The EXECUTIVE PLUS package — the configuration the maker’s weights and dimensions table describes — adds a compression roller bumper (DRP), premium brand-name tyres, the tyre pressure monitoring system, a fill-level sensor with an LED display for the fuel tank on the bulkhead, a door contact switch and a coupling sensor, on top of the standard TrailerConnect hardware. The S.KO brochure’s own equipment gallery lists further optional exterior items: additional working spotlights with LED technology, LED tail lights with a flashing function, a tyre-pressure sensor with a re-inflation function, and a full-length coupling pick-up plate with edge guard that Schmitz states improves coupling protection when approaching from the side.

The optional multifunctional floor has a welded, liquid-tight floor pan flush with the wall, for what Schmitz states is easy cleaning and the full 2,460 mm loading width; it is rated R12 to DIN 51130 for slip resistance and TÜV-certified for its coefficient of friction to VDI 2700. Against the standard barley-grain floor, Schmitz’s own published comparison gives the multifunctional floor a 35% longer service life, 7% better non-slip performance and 8% lower weight. A separate current maker sheet states the same floor is PIEK-certified. Load-securing profiles built into the floor speed the fitting of vertical clamping beams and reduce the number of beams a given load needs.

The optional double-decker system uses V7 grid rails and carries a TÜV-certified load-securing rating: cargo can be form-locked using three beams at 9,000 daN, a rating Schmitz states also applies with a second bulkhead fitted to improve load distribution. Each support beam is rated at 1,000 kg load-bearing capacity against 8 kg of its own empty weight, and the current V7 rail generation is stated to save approx. 40 kg over the system it replaced. A mobile, pivoting partition wall, made of the same vapour diffusion-tight FERROPLAST as the body, divides the interior for MultiTemp use; variable horizontal load-securing rails can be positioned at any height in the double-decker system, and a folding circulation wall — optional — speeds cleaning while distance profiles and a pallet stop protect the bulkhead and refrigeration unit from loading damage.

Customised equipment documented for the wider S.KO range includes: a Euro meat rack of five galvanised 60 mm tubular rails with a hook-stop lock system and a parking rail for empty hooks; a fold-under tail lift, optional, for ground-level loading and unloading; a folding underride guard, reinforced stainless-steel scuff plates over the gripping edges and adapted running gear, together stated to suit loading onto pocket wagons for rail transport; and, for ferry transport, landing gear with ferry lashings and a storage compartment for the securing wedge, plus an optional guard frame to protect the refrigeration unit. TrailerConnect data is accessible through the TrailerConnect Portal 2.0, with PDF and Excel reports, and through the beSmart smartphone app over the trailer’s built-in WiFi module.

Source notes

The weights and dimensions above belong to the S.KO COOL SMART EXECUTIVE PLUS with a 13.4 m internal body; Schmitz publishes none for the 14.7 m and 16.8 m bodies it also sells, and the pallet figures 33 / 36 / 41 are those three lengths rather than three options for one trailer. Tare is published as 7,960 kg +/- 3%. Schmitz prints every length, width and height in that table — and both coupling heights — with “approx.” in front of the value, and only the wheelbase 7,600 mm, the axle spacing 1,310 mm, the front overhang 1,600 mm and the ride height 410 mm are given clean. The integers here are the maker’s approximate figures with the qualifier stripped by the schema. Loading length here is the internal body length (L) of 13,410 mm; the same table gives a usable body length (LN) of 13,315 mm. Schmitz publishes two insulation figures: 0.33 W/m²K for the COMPLETE version in the S.KO brochure and on both EXECUTIVE PLUS sheets, and “a k-value from 0.295 W/m²K from series production” in the current IAA brief information for the S.KO COOL. Both are the maker’s own k-values, not a tested ATP K coefficient. The ATP class is FRC or FNA depending on application and equipment options. Axle count is not a published figure; “tri-axle” is this site’s reading.