Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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84 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | AUGUST 2015 EQUIPMENT: TRAILER TECHNOLOGY full-enterprise process of innovation, design, build, test and refinement, but the end result will be far superior to today's van products," he says. Wabash National operates under the belief that it has a responsibility to provide equipment that helps its customers be as successful as possible in today's ever-changing operating environment, says Dick Giromini, the company's president and chief executive officer. "That includes seeking ways to continually enhance reliability, performance and durability, all while assuring the lowest total cost of own- ership," Giromini says. Great Dane Trailers always has designed its products to respond to the specific needs of its customers, so incorporating current customer preferences and evolving technolo- gies is nothing new for the company, says Charles Fetz, vice president of design and development. Regarding the impact of regulatory demands, Fetz doesn't believe that regulations in general drive trailer design to a major degree. "But they can provide additional challenges, since many proposed regulations require tooling, material or process changes for OEMs," he says. "These can be both expensive and time-consuming to implement, which is why manufacturers gener- ally like to see as much time as is reasonable to implement those as a result of regulatory changes." While Giromini says fuel economy regulations tend to get all the head- lines, other mandates also actively shape the industry's research and development efforts, such as the pending 33-foot twin "pup" trailer legislation that would extend the length of a standard pup trailer. "We are already prepared to build to a 33- foot standard," he says. "If passed and signed into law, we can respond to customer needs immediately." On the manufacturing side of the equation, there also is pending legislation for eliminating or limiting certain foam-blowing agents in reefer insulation, specifically hydrofluoro- carbons. Giromini says substituting these blowing agents could alter the trailer's design to meet long-term ef- ficiency and weight standards. Integrated aerodynamics As fuel economy became a greater priority for fleets, trailers lagged markedly behind tractors in terms of aerodynamic efficiency improve- ments. Aftermarket suppliers moved quickly to fill a new product niche by offering add-on aerodynamic devic- es, and OEMs say a more integrated approach is coming soon. Giromini says that with the recent announcement of Phase II of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation's proposed fuel economy and green- house gas regulations, the trailer is becoming a more significant part of the overall equation. "Obviously, designing a trailer with a lower coefficient of drag re- sults in higher fuel economy and less GHG emissions for the tractor-trailer combination," he says. "Addition- ally, we are constantly looking at the balance between weight and design." About 60 percent of fleets today are in weight-sensitive applications, Gi- romini says. "This drives our ongo- ing efforts to optimize trailer weight to improve freight efficiency while increasing durability and corrosion resistance." Willmott says Strick looks at current industry and regulatory demands as design improvement opportunities for trailer OEMs. "The EPA's pending GHG2 regulations are destined to force dramatically improved fuel efficiency over the next decade," he says. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administra- tion's recent focus on key safety enhancements such as side underride guards and roll stability also are cur- rent design considerations. At the same time, Willmott says, added pressure is being applied to trailer manufacturers from the free- market side of the equation. "Fleets are pushing us hard for Charlie Willmott, chief sales ocer with the Strick Group, says Strick Trailers looks at current industry and regulatory demands as design improvement opportunities. At the current rate of development and change, van trailers 10 years from now will bear little resemblance to the trailers of today. – Charlie Willmott, chief sales o cer, Strick Group