Let's celebrate 50 years of truck and trailer history
Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, BY BRUCE SAUER
The 1970s
As the 1970s rolled in, so did a wave of federal regulations that had major effects on commercial trucks and trailers. The three major regulatory agencies that affect our industry all were created during a flurry of legislative activity in December 1970.
The Environmental Protection Agency was proposed by President Richard Nixon and began operation on December 2, 1970, when its establishment was passed by Congress, and signed into law by President Nixon.
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M Nixon, on December 29, 1970.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also was formed then. Spurred by a rise in consumerism personified by Ralph Nader's campaign against the Chevrolet Corvair led Congress to pass the Highway Safety Act of 1970. NHTSA immediately began to implement an array of safety standards that impact virtually every facet of trucks and trailers from headlights to rear bumpers.
The regulation garnering the most attention during the 1970s was FMVSS 121. Despite protests from trailer manufactures, fleets, and others that the technology at the time was not yet ready, NHTSA pushed rulemaking that mandated the use of antilock brakes for trailers. The industry claims were validated in 1978 when a federal appeals court threw out the requirement.
Trailer customers made it clear that they did not want ABS on trailers, at least back then. To beat the January 1, 1975 effective date for the standard, fleets bought more than 200,000 trailers in 1974 the industry's best year in history. Of course, once the regulation went into effect, the market collapsed, and trailer manufacturers had their worst year of the decade in 1975.
NHTSA regulations also brought a new set of concerns to the truck equipment industry. The big challenge for truck equipment distributors was learning the ins and outs of vehicle certification. Much of the work that upfitters routinely perform has no bearing on the array of safety standards that apply to the vehicle in general. Whether the truck complies with them generally falls within the realm of the chassis manufacturer. The truck equipment industry argued that it should not be liable for the work performed by the chassis manufacturers. Over time, the efforts of chassis manufacturers, today's National Truck Equipment Association, NHTSA itself, and an occasional lawsuit crafted the vehicle certification system that is in use today.
As the 1970s ended, trailer manufacturers again were prospering enjoying a record year in 1979. The truck equipment industry was growing, fueled in part by unprecedented popularity of light trucks and accessories. The Truck Equipment and Body Distributors Association was growing, too. In 1979, the group was renamed the National Truck Equipment Association. Headquarters moved from Cincinnati to Detroit to provide closer ties with chassis manufacturers.
The 1980s
Perhaps the dominant force that changed the world of truck body and trailer manufacturers in the 1980s was the explosive growth of computer technology.
Computer-controlled machine tools swept away the industry's remaining vestiges of blacksmith shops. Production accuracies and repeatability that previously were unattainable became routine as computers controlled press brakes and turret presses. Drawing boards and T squares suddenly became obsolete as computer-aided design software offered speed, repeatability, and the ability to drive production tools directly from CAD drawings. Nesting software, working in conjunction with CAD software, helped manufacturers reduce scrap. And management software was developed that monitored all facets of the manufacturing process.
Truck equipment distributors also bought into the new technology. Computerized inventory control systems replaced boxes of index cards. Inventories could be controlled in real time. Meanwhile, the decreasing cost of hardware and CAD software meant that distributors could afford to offer more professional engineering services.
On the regulatory front, Congress approved new size and weight regulations that created consistent limits for trucks and trailers. Approved in 1982, the law allowed the use of doubles trailers anywhere on the national network of highways. It also created a standard 48-ft length for trailers and increased the overall width limit from 96 inches to 102 inches. The new length limit created a flurry of demand in the aftermarket for trailer stretching services. But no one really figured out a feasible way to increase trailer width, so the result was another increase in demand for new trailers. Trailer manufacturers enjoyed another record year in 1984, shipping more than 214,000 trailers.
In the mid-1980s, significant changes were taking place in truck equipment. Distributors were beginning to operate their own chassis pools. As one distributor said at the time, If you can control the chassis, you can control the market.
The practice triggered a heated debate. As we researched our first article on chassis pools, one distributor who operated a pool tried to talk us out of addressing the subject.
Don't run anything on this, he said. It's too controversial.
Light trucks continued to grow, as did the market for light-duty trailers. A group of manufacturers gathered to form the National Association of Livestock Trailer Manufacturers (NALTM). Recognizing the need to include other light-duty trailers as members, the group has grown significantly in size and influence. Today it has a new name the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers.
The 1990s
As they continued to buy more computer horsepower, distributors began offering increased engineering services. One of the industry's most common requests of chassis manufacturers was to provide chassis CAD drawings so that distributors could electronically assemble the chassis, body, and equipment before the vehicle ever existed.
Manufacturers, whether trailer or truck body, were hitting their stride with the use of automated equipment. Production standards were never higher, and efficiency continued to improve. Increasingly manufacturers borrowed ideas from the automotive industry, including capital-intensive e-coat lines, robotic welding, and continuous improvement programs.
A New Century
Y2K failed to cause the economic collapse that many predicted, but it has been a turbulent decade, nevertheless. Mergers and acquisitions at all levels were common early in the decade. Private equity companies bought some of the industry's most successful companies. Truck body manufacturers bought some of their distributors. Distributors grew as manufacturers. The once simple channel of distribution had become more of a web and less of a channel.
The other Web the Internet exploded in the first decade of the 21st century. Early ventures into cyberspace typically were nothing more than billboards on a computer screen. Increasingly, however, companies are using their Web sites as places to view videos, check order status or inventory levels, and place orders. But you know that. You probably have done at least one of these things already this morning.
The present decade has been a true roller coaster ride two downturns separated by some of the best years in industry history.
It's been a remarkable 50 years. A lot of changes. But the future promises that more changes will come, because truck bodies and trailers still are not light enough, durable enough, or inexpensive enough to permanently satisfy the customers who buy them.
All of us at Trailer/Body Builders would like to genuinely thank you for your support over the past century. While we can't know each and every reader, we count many of you as personal friends. We have grown up together. Together we have watched our children grow, and together we have mourned the loss of many in this industry who have passed on after contributing much.
Thank you for sharing your ideas and your industry with us these last 50 years. We look forward to serving you for many years to come.
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
