After a year of tremendous sales and success, the trailer market is looking at a period of declining demand. However, the downturn could also signal a time for significant change.
A ‘plastic’ flatbed in the 1980s and FRP plywood vans even earlier featured non-metallic substances for trailers, recalls Senior Contributing Editor Tom Berg.
There is no dearth of trailer makers in North America. Some trailer makers succeed with volume-driven pricing, others turn out specialized and customized models. Either way making trailers is about knowing what your customers want. Here is our annual update of product developments from major trailer makers.
Statistically, cargo tanks, both liquid and dry bulk, are statistically among the safest vehicles on the road today. But the tank sector does face certain challenges that are inherent with the job.
The Truck-Lite Road Ready smart trailer system is now available as an option on Wabash dry and refrigerated van trailers.
A special Duraplate van has heavy plexiglass panels to reveal its sporty load. Guess the number of baseballs and win World Series tickets. Blog commentary by Tom Berg, Senior Contributing Editor
The Helix Dumper is a major advance and worthy of a prize. But I'd have voted for Wabash National's RIG-16 rear impact guard.
HDT's Tom Berg says his friend Mike, who died in a rear underride crash more than 44 years ago, would be happy about recent safety advancements. Read more in the Trailer Talk blog.
Plastics -- specifically, molded structural composites -- might constitute the future of trailers. Some are used in Europe, and Wabash National is ready to build them here. Werner Enterprises, K&B Transportation, Combined Transport, and Leonard’s Express will acquire some MSC trailers for testing, and three dealers will help bring the trailers to market.
What will the refrigerated trailer of the future be made of? Strong, lightweight and corrosion-proof composites? Very possibly. Economical, efficient aluminum sheet-and-post design, like now? Yes, for a number of years yet.
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