Half a million is a lot, especially when it describes how many big 53- by 102 trailers have been made by one manufacturer. Wabash National Corp. last week said it had produced its 500,000^th DuraPlate model since introducing it 17 years ago.

The trailer, adorned with a special commemorative logo, was delivered to Crete Carrier Corp., one of the largest privately owned trucking companies in the United States.

“Wabash has always led the industry in innovation, going back to the early plate trailer that revolutionized the design and construction of traditional sheet and post trailers,” said Tonn Ostergard, Crete Carrier’s chief executive officer and president, in a statement.

“The DuraPlate van provides maximum cube space, which helps us serve our customers, and the smooth interior walls reduce cargo damage.

“The durability of the DuraPlate van provides us with a quality asset with a low total cost of ownership and a solid residual value at time of sale or trade.”

“Reaching this milestone of building half a million DuraPlate dry vans is a significant accomplishment for our associates and our customers,” said Brent Yeagy, group president of Commercial Trailer Products at Wabash National.

“It is further evidence of how customers, both large and small fleets alike, value the durability, longevity and low total cost of ownership provided by our line of American-made DuraPlate vans.”

Introduced in 1996, the DuraPlate delivers long life and high resale values, he said. It uses thin composite walls consisting of a high-density polyethylene core bonded between two high-strength steel skins to provide damage resistance and maximum interior width.

They are produced in-house at Wabash, in Lafayette, Ind., and are the only composite-plate sidewall panels manufactured in the U.S., Yeagy said. Some of the largest truckload and less-than-truckload carriers in the country use DuraPlate vans.  

More information is at www.wabash-trailers.com.