Why Do Flatbeds Get Semi-Literary Names?
Sure, flats carry heavy loads, but so do most others, and they just get model designations, says Senior Contributing Editor Tom Berg.
At MATS, one exception to what seems to be the flatbeds-only-get-names rule was this Mac aluminum end-dump trailer whose subframe carried the painted-on moniker, “Mac’s I Mizer” – apparently an unofficial play on a name used by a competitor.
Photos: Tom Berg
What is it about flatbeds that they get macho names? At the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville earlier this year, I found numerous platform trailers with tough-sounding monikers, and made it a point to photograph them.
In the industry, flats seem to be the only type labeled like that. Sure, flatbeds carry some heavy loads, but so do most others, especially lowboys and other heavy-haul types. Those get model designations but not semi-literary names. How come? Competition? Tradition? If you know, please let me know.
Anyway, check these out:
Reitnouer’s Max Miser implies maximum earnings through high payloads, and presumably all Miser owners hang onto their money.
East might have been an originator of the macho name tradition with its “Beast from East” model some years ago. Today it’s designated “BST” but still pronounced beast.
In some dictionaries, “brute” means “beast” and they both imply animal-like strength. For sure, Wilson’s Road Brute is not likely to be found in the woods. Wilson also has a “Premier” aluminum flatbed.
Trucking’s a tough business and you’d better be ready to fight, maybe with a Mac Road Warrior.
Manac calls this steel-and-aluminum flatbed “Legend.” Another Manac name is “Dark Wing,” even though those flats are shiny aluminum.
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