Costco Class 7 Truck Features Lighter Sidewalls From Supreme Industries
Truck body manufacturer Supreme Industries Inc. delivered a lighter weight pilot-project truck to Costco Wholesale Corp. for testing in the retailer’s Fleet of the Future initiative, it said.
The sidewalls are made from Supreme's proprietary FiberPanel honeycomb composite material which, in addition to other customized features, reduced the body weight by 27%. That resulted in a 1,000-pound improvement in payload capacity for the 26-foot delivery truck with a Class 7 Hino 338 chassis, the Goshen, Indiana-based company said.
“Costco's Truck of the Future program is an internal initiative aimed at maximizing efficiency in our growing delivery fleets,” Michael Espitia, Costco's regional administration manager, said in a statement.
“As we strategically broaden e-commerce and business replenishment services, customer convenience is improving without compromising Costco's value proposition,” Espitia said. “In conjunction with our fleet management partners at Penske, Supreme customized this truck to achieve these specific objectives.”
