Trailers Evolving, Getting 'Smarter'

Truck trailers have evolved at a slower pace than the rest of the industry, but they are catching up fast — going from little more than boxes on wheels to high-tech cargo carriers — according to manufacturers.

As Larry Strawhorn of American Trucking Associations puts it: “The trailer industry is being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century.”

“The trailer industry was often looked upon as a ‘dumb industry.’ But the vehicles being supplied to trucking companies today are highly sophisticated,” said Donald J. “Jerry” Ehrlich, president of Wabash National Co. in Lafayette, Ind.

Ehrlich said trailers have gotten smarter, with manufacturers using new design techniques and microchips to expand the list of innovative features. Among the improvements he cited were antilock braking systems, suspensions that react to load weights, on-board computers, lightweight materials and designs that maximize the interior space.

C. F. “Kit” Hammond, president of Great Dane Limited Partnership, describes three distinct groups of customers for trailers:

Truckload and less-than-truckload carriers put their emphasis on cargo capacity, so a standard trailer will do for them.

Private carriers require a greater degree of tailoring to meet their needs, so a trailer may have to be customized with side doors or gates.

Leasing companies order a combination of the customized and standard trailers for their diverse base of clients.

Trailers may look identical to the untrained eye, with the only distinguishing mark being the manufacturer’s nameplate. But industry leaders are quick to note the differences in the approaches their companies take in design and construction.

For the full story, see the April 26 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.