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Monday 8:30am - 5:45pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5:45pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5:45pm Thursday 8:30am - 5:45pm Friday 8:30am - 5:45pm

Don-Bur (Bodies & Trailers) Ltd

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Don-Bur (Bodies & Trailers) Ltd

Don-Bur are innovative manufacturers of commercial vehicle trailers and rigid bodywork

Through their innovative development of bespoke and aerodynamic, fuel-saving solutions, Don-Bur have become the market champions for the design and manufacture of the complete range of commercial vehicle trailers and rigid bodywork. Their flexible approach to engineering and manufacture provides cost-effective distribution solutions to maximise operational efficiency and profitability.

09/09/2026

Of all the hundreds of pages on the Don-Bur website, can you guess which is the third most viewed?

🥇 Our home page — no great surprise there.
🥈 Double-deck trailers — again, perhaps unsurprising given Don-Bur’s long manufacturing heritage and specialism in this field.
🥉 HGV trailer couplings.... That one surprised us!

Our guide to HGV trailer couplings attracts thousands of views every year — clearly there’s an appetite for straightforward technical information about this essential part of an articulated vehicle.

So, given the interest, we’d like to make it even more useful.

What would you like to know about HGV trailer couplings?

Drop your question in the comments 👇 and we’ll consider adding the most useful to a new FAQ section — with a credit to the person who asked it.

🔗 Read the guide: https://donbur.co.uk/faqs/product-knowledge/what-are-hgv-trailer-couplings.html

08/09/2026

🏆 Independent recognition for Don-Bur Service

We're delighted to announce that our Stoke-on-Trent workshop has achieved IRTE Workshop Accreditation for the first time, alongside a Platinum MPRS rating — the highest level available under the Maintenance Provision Rating Scheme.

Both recognitions followed an independent audit of our workshop, providing customers with additional reassurance that our facilities, people, procedures and working practices have been assessed against recognised industry standards.

We're particularly proud that our existing systems, policies and procedures were already in place, with accreditation awarded without the need for remedial work.

A great result — and a credit to everyone at Don-Bur Service who worked hard to compile the evidence and support the assessment. 👏

Find out what the accreditations mean and why they matter to commercial vehicle operators:

Read the full story: https://donbur.co.uk/news/don-bur-service-irte-workshop-accreditation-mprs-platinum.html

Special thanks go to David Cooper at Prestige Transport Compliance & Training for guidance and the audit.

07/09/2026

⚠️ Would you carry on regardless?

There’s still plenty of evidence to suggest that drivers are continuing journeys with ABS/EBS warning lamps illuminated.

Perhaps it’s a lack of understanding. Perhaps the light has been on before and nothing happened. Or perhaps there’s pressure to keep the vehicle moving.

Whatever the reason, a warning lamp is there to tell you something is wrong.

And not all ABS/EBS warnings mean the same thing. The colour of the warning affects what action should be taken.

So, would you know what to do?

👉 Find out what red and amber ABS/EBS warnings mean and what action to take: https://donbur.co.uk/faqs/safety/action-to-take-for-red-or-amber-abs-warning-light.html

04/09/2026

What happens to a trailer when its working life is finally over?

For a company that designs and manufactures new trailers, it might seem an unusual question to ask.

But responsible product stewardship shouldn't end when a new trailer leaves the factory.

Don-Bur has introduced a new Trailer End-of-Life Recovery, Reuse and Recycling Policy, looking at the whole product lifecycle.

And recycling isn't necessarily the first answer. Where commercially viable, maintenance, repair and refurbishment come first. Once an operator determines that a trailer has reached the end of its economically viable working life, Don-Bur can support and facilitate appropriate recovery, reuse and recycling routes.

It's about helping to close the loop — retaining useful value for as long as practicable and responsibly considering what happens when serviceable life finally ends.

Read the full story: https://donbur.co.uk/news/trailer-end-of-life-recycling-policy.html

03/09/2026

— almost a quarter of a century ago...

When Richard Owens joined Don-Bur in late 2003, one of his first introductions to the job came when Dave Burton took him out to photograph and document this new batch of trailers, built for JRL (Joint Retail Logistics) for operation on a Marks and Spencer contract.

Quite an introduction, as it turned out.

This was an intriguing step-frame fixed double-deck trailer, featuring independent suspension and a super-low floor to maximise the internal aperture while keeping the overall trailer height to just 4.150m.

It was also designed to operate at a 1.185m fifth-wheel height and incorporated a two-tier tail-lift.

For somebody new to Don-Bur, it was a pretty good introduction to the sort of specialist engineering the company excelled at then — and continues to excel at today.

What Richard didn't fully appreciate at the time was just how important the photographic process Dave was showing him would become.

Photographing a completed vehicle isn't simply about getting good pictures for PR or social media. Those images also create a valuable technical and historical record of what actually left our factory gates.

They capture the little things that aren't always covered by an engineering drawing or written specification: exactly where a tyre-pressure sticker was positioned on a rave; how conspicuity tape was applied; how an internal panel corner was finished; and hundreds of other small details that can become surprisingly important years later when a vehicle needs to be replicated or repaired.

A photograph taken in a few seconds can answer a question decades later.

The process Dave introduced Richard to back in 2003 continues today, with every new trailer and rigid body batch photographed and documented for the future.

Almost a quarter of a century later, it's fascinating to look back at one of Richard's earliest Don-Bur photo shoots — and he probably couldn't have asked for a more interesting first subject.

Thanks to Dave Burton for showing the new boy the ropes all those years ago.

02/09/2026

Where can an apprenticeship take you?

At Don-Bur, one former apprentice has progressed all the way from apprentice bodybuilder to Operations Director.

And that's just one of the apprenticeship success stories we're celebrating.

With 17 apprenticeships currently active and three more due to start, we're continuing to encourage people to develop their skills, gain qualifications and build their careers with Don-Bur.

Could an apprenticeship be the start of yours?

Read the full story: https://donbur.co.uk/news/don-bur-apprenticeships-2026.html

01/09/2026

A fresh look for the Sapphire fleet

Our Sapphire Curtains & Graphics vehicle fleet has had a bit of a spruce-up, with refreshed liveries now rolling out across the vans and pickups.

The fleet supports the team across a wide range of day-to-day work – from curtain and load restraint manufacture and installation through to vehicle graphics, as well as transporting our decal fitting teams and equipment to customer sites for remote applications.

Following the recent relaunch of both the Sapphire Curtains and Sapphire Graphics websites, the fleet refresh is another part of bringing the Sapphire identity right up to date.

And, appropriately enough, the new liveries have been designed, produced and applied in-house by the Sapphire Graphics team.

Find out more:
https://sapphirecurtains.co.uk/
https://sapphiregraphics.co.uk/

14/08/2026

Specialist vehicle refurbishment for Genesis Rail 🚛🛤️

Our Don-Bur Service Division recently completed an extensive refurbishment of a specialist road-rail vehicle for Sandbach-based Genesis Rail & Plant.

Designed to operate both on the road and on railway infrastructure, the vehicle can deploy its rail wheels once positioned on track and is used in connection with overhead cable operations.

When it arrived at our Stoke-on-Trent workshops, there was plenty to do.

The refurbishment included:

🔧 Removal and replacement of the complete durbar floor
🔧 Repair of the wind-out body side rails
🔧 Repair of the control-panel protection cage
🔧 Subframe alterations to accommodate new rear crash protection
🔧 Replacement rear underrun protection
🔧 New wings
🔧 New side and rear lighting
🔧 Extensive fabrication, repair and general refurbishment

The project began after our Workshop Manager, Chris Palmer, received an enquiry and visited Genesis Rail to assess the vehicle and discuss what was required.

The completed vehicle is now ready to return to work — and this first project has opened the door to further repair and refurbishment work across Genesis Rail's varied specialist vehicle fleet.

A great example of the fabrication and refurbishment capabilities available through the Don-Bur Service Division, particularly when the job calls for something a little outside the ordinary.

We’re very honoured to be selected to do this project and look forward to seeing it back in action.

Read the full refurbishment story:

https://donbur.co.uk/news/genesis-rail-road-rail-vehicle-refurbishment.html

07/08/2026

🌐 Our new Sapphire websites are live!

We’re pleased to launch two completely refreshed websites for our specialist Sapphire divisions – Sapphire Curtains & Load Restraint and Sapphire Graphics.

Both sites have been designed to make it easier to explore our products, services and capabilities for the commercial vehicle industry.

🔹 Sapphire Curtains & Load Restraint – curtain manufacture, replacement curtains, load restraint systems, components and technical information.

🔹 Sapphire Graphics – large-format digital print and graphics for commercial vehicles, trailers and other applications.

Take a look and explore the new sites:

👉 https://sapphirecurtains.co.uk/
👉 https://sapphiregraphics.co.uk/

03/08/2026

Today, we remember our friend and colleague, Ralph Steiner.

For 30 years, from 1990 until his retirement in 2020, Ralph was an integral part of the Don-Bur engineering team.

During that time, he became one of the company's most knowledgeable and respected engineers. If someone had a technical question, needed guidance or wanted the benefit of experience, Ralph was often the first person they would turn to. His depth of knowledge was exceptional, but what made him truly special was his willingness to share it. He was always approachable, incredibly helpful and had a wonderful sense of humour that made him a pleasure to work alongside.

After living with Parkinson's disease for the last 20 years, Ralph sadly passed away on 28th June 2026, with his wife, Tina, by his side at the Dougie Mac Hospice.
Those who had the privilege of working with Ralph will remember not only his engineering expertise, but also his kindness, generosity and good humour. He made a lasting impression on everyone who knew him and will be greatly missed by colleagues, friends and all whose lives he touched.

As a lasting tribute to Ralph and in recognition of his 30 years of service to Don-Bur, we are honoured to sponsor the Oak Activity Room within the Dementia Services at the Dougie Mac Hospice in his memory.

We hope Ralph's legacy will live on through this sponsorship, helping to support the many people and families who access these invaluable services, just as the Dougie Mac supported Ralph and his family with such compassion and care.

Our sincere thanks go to everyone at the Dougie Mac Hospice for the exceptional kindness and support they showed throughout Ralph's journey.

If you would like to learn more about the incredible work of the Dougie Mac Hospice, please visit www.dougiemac.org.uk.

Our thoughts remain with Tina, Karl, Ralph's extended family, friends and everyone whose lives he touched.

Rest in peace, Ralph.

Address

Stoke-on-Trent

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5:45pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5:45pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:45pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5:45pm
Friday	8:30am - 5:45pm

Telephone

+44(0)1782 599 666

Website

http://donbur.co.uk/

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