Getting More From Your Trailer Investment
In 1978, Havco Wood Products LLC was founded to produce the best flooring for dry van trailers. Havco succeeded in this mission by increasing overall quality, and in turn, the overall lifespan of trailer floors. However, over time the needs of the industry changed. Along with longevity, there were great demands to reduce the weight of the floor, increase its strength and eliminate costly repairs and maintenance. Up to that point, the wood floor was the weakest link in the floor system due to repeated forklift loading cycles and the susceptibility of the wood to moisture.
Once again, Havco aimed to provide a better floor. In the late 1990s, Havco engineer Gopal Padmanabhan invented the industry’s first composite floor, the Fusion Floor® by Havco®. This innovation directly addressed the damage that occurs when forklift trucks cause the floor to flex and spring back. Havco’s solution reinforced the bottom side of the floor with a layer of high-strength glass-epoxy composite laminate. The laminate utilizes continuous glass fibers in the longitudinal and lateral directions of the floorboard, making it 10 times stronger than oak. In addition, it makes the floor impervious to moisture, road salt and chemicals.
A custom-made red PUR hot melt adhesive bonds the laminate layer to the oak boards, resulting in a board twice as strong as a traditional wood board with the same thickness. Fusion Floor has a higher load rating and because it’s thinner, it can provide weight savings up to 360 pounds. “Fusion Floor was a simple idea that was proven in the lab early on,” said Padmanabhan. “The secret sauce was developing a high-volume production system and proving the product’s performance on the roads in real-world applications.”
Fleets that hauled heavy paper loads, glass plates and automotive parts were the primary customers of Fusion Floor in its introductory phase. They reaped a high ROI since floor repair and maintenance were eliminated. Today, Fusion Floor has been widely accepted and well received by fleets and OEMs alike. “Fleets specking Fusion Floor for their trailers have diverse profiles,” said Bruce Bader, CEO of Havco. Because of its light weight, Fusion Floor has been embraced by beverage haulers, and fleets hauling across the border use it to offset abusive forklift loading conditions.
Fleets planning to use their trailers for 10 or more years are some of the largest Fusion Floor customers, and most fleets are repeat customers. The superior quality of Havco’s Fusion Floor has been proven over the road in the last 22 years. With more than 300,000 floors sold, it is the industry standard for increased performance and ROI.
About Havco
Since patenting the composite floor in 1999, Havco has produced more than 300,000 composite floors and continues to lead the market in both production and innovation. As the industry leader, Havco remains committed to providing cost-saving solutions that keep fleets moving.
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