Utility Trailer Manufacturing is offering a new optional double-deck loading system for its dry van trailers.

The K2 Kaptive Beam system from Kinedyne Corp. increases capacity and boosts the amount of freight that can be hauled by trailers and drivers, said Craig Bennett, senior vice president, sales and marketing.

A system of tracks and beams forms a second deck to increase freight capacity without reaching past any allowable stacking limit. The Kaptive Beam system can support up to 500 pounds per linear foot, which would allow up to 26,000 pounds of payload on the second deck of a 53-foot van.

The versatile system can be set up in several different configurations for uniquely packaged freight, Bennett said. The second deck allows freight to be stacked on top of each other without causing damage to fragile items transported in the same load.

K2 Kaptive's beams and tracks are manufactured from aluminum alloy to add minimal weight to the trailer while providing needed strength. A spring-loaded mechanism automatically locks each beam to track slots. Beams fold into a van's ceiling when not needed, thus staying with the trailer at all times.

At last week's Mid-America Trucking Show, Utility displayed a 4000D-X Composite van equipped with the K2 Kaptive system. Bennett said it weighed 13,120 pounds, including sideskirts, which is well within lightweight specifications.