Wabash is launching its first line of dry- and refrigerated-truck bodies for Class 6, 7, and 8 chassis, the company announced.

The truck bodies are currently in a limited production phase, with plans to ramp up production over the next 18 months. Wabash opened a dedicated facility in Lafayette, Ind., for the production of truck bodies and other final-mile equipment to address new trends in the industry.

“We’re very conscious of a shift happening in the trucking industry fueled by re-urbanization and e-commerce trends,” said Brent Yeagy, group president, commercial trailer products at Wabash National. ”Our mission is to help our customers be successful, and with our truck body line we can support them as they work to meet final-mile delivery needs.”

Wabash is using the experience it gained as a trailer manufacturer to engineer the refrigerated truck body and is making use of a bonding assembly technology that can provide up to 25% improvement in thermal efficiency compared to conventional designs. The design also reduces weight by 15%, according to Wabash, while still maintaining strength and durability.

The dry truck body is constructed using Wabash National’s DuraPlate composite panels, which it has used in heavy-duty freight applications for 20 years. They also incorporate semi-trailer grade components and designs that Wabash says add performance and longevity.

“Our engineering and production teams have worked hard to design and build truck body models that provide greater levels of performance,” said Yeagy. “And we think customers will see immediate benefit in their operations.”