Benson Platform Has 2001-Compliant Antilock Braking This new Benson International platform is 2001-compliant. That is, the Meritor 4S/2M antilock braking system on the trailer will light the ABS warning light on the dashboard of the truck. This two-way communications link between the trailer and tractor is made possible by a Hendrickson Control Link multiplexing system that adds circuits for four more appliances to the blue line dedicated for ABS use.
The platform is Benson's heavy-duty lightweight flatbed of aluminum construction. Beefed-up specs include double pipe spools at the rubrail, 51,000-lb capacity Binkley landing legs, and a removable aluminum. The 22,500-lb Pro-Bar axles have parallel spindle bearings that carry the Holland VOS (Value of simplicity) five-year warranty. The maintenance-free wheel end has components that are replaceable with off-the-shelf parts. The Ridewell Monopivot suspension also carries a five-year warranty, including the height control valve. This 48'x102" aluminum platform has a spread axle with an electric dump valve on the rear axle. Equipped with 14 pairs of chain tiedowns, 42 feet of winch track, Trans-deck nailing strips, two tool boxes, cast drums, and four steel wheels inside the four aluminum wheels, the weight is 9,900 lb.
The Benson platform pictured on top is also a 48' x 102" aluminum platform, but the spread axles have Hendrickson Intraax integral axle-suspensions.
Benson International, headquartered in Mineral Wells WV, has four manufacturing plants in West Virginia and Kentucky.
Benson Rockbuster Is Full Half-Round of AR400 Steel The Benson Rockbuster made its first public showing at the Mid America Trucking Show in Louisville. The design of the Rockbuster is a full half-round shell rolled from AR400 steel 1/4" thick. Butt joints between the rolled steel plates are reinforced with structural steel channel stiffening rings rolled to the half-round shape. The top rail is a structural channel with and integral dirt-shedding angle. The tailgate is also fabricated of AR400 steel 1/4" thick. The showtrailer rides on a Reyco 21B tri-axle suspension with single-leaf springs.
Benson offers a lightweight option using 3/16" AR400 steel and a heavy-duty option using 3/8" AR400 steel. Benson International is headquartered in Mineral Wells WV.
Merritt Designs Millennium Trailer to Haul More Grain The Millennium is a new double-wall grain trailer by Merritt Equipment Company, Henderson, Colorado. Merritt claims this 42"6" grain trailer with 68" side height has greater capacity (1,629 cubic feet) and lighter weight (8,780 lb) than competitive units.
It also dumps faster because of steeper slope sheets and fewer hang-up points. The upper slope sheet is at a 33.5 degree angle and the lower slope angle is 44.5 degrees. Hoppers are fabricated of .125" aluminum and have heavy-duty extruded knock rails as reinforcing members.
Also standard are 8" radius corner posts, front and rear ladder mounted at an angle, and front and rear platforms. The scale weight posted on this show trailer at the Mid-America Trucking Show included eight aluminum wheels.
Lifting, Traveling Tail Carries Its Own Load on the Road The Traveling Tail is a new design by Landoll Corporation of Marysville KS. The 12-ft tail section acts as a loading ramp, and it can also be raised while loaded and can travel with a load on the tail. To lower the tail section for loading, the two axles are pulled forward by a hydraulic cylinder. To raise the tail section, the axles are pushed back. One hydraulic cylinder does it all, moving the axles and raising the tail.
The 48' by 102" Traveling Tail trailer on display at the Mid-America Trucking Show has a 70,000-lb capacity distributed load, or 40,000 lb concentrated in 10 feet. The four-beam design mainframe is fabricated of high tensile (80,000 lb) steel, and has 4" junior I-beam crossmembers on 16" centers. It travels on Neway RLU228 22,500-lb air suspension with manual dump valve. The 22,500-lb axles have dual 17.5" wheels.
The lower deck has a 37" height when loaded, and is 37 feet long in the 48-ft overall length model. Besides the hydraulics for the traveling tail and bogie, the Landoll Model 930 has a 15,000-lb planetary winch mounted on the upper deck. Tare weight is 16,300 lb.
Transcraft Super Beam Platform Has Increased Capacity This Transcraft TL-3000 is built with a Super Beam that brings rated capacity to 90,000 lb concentrated in 10 feet or 85,000 lb concentrated in any four feet. The uprating is made possible by increasing the Super Beam thickness to a half inch of 130,000-psi yield strength steel and increasing the web plate thickness to a quarter inch.
The 48-ft by 102" wide trailer is equipped with a Hendrickson Intraax AA250 tandem with axles spaced at 121". Axle capacity is 25,000 lb. It is also available with three axles spaced at 60.5" on center, Lightweight components include Con Met aluminum PreSet hubs, outboard-mounted Centrifuse drums, 24.5" Alcoa aluminum disc wheels, and aluminum side rails. The aluminum floor has four apitong nailers and is on cross sills spaced on 12" centers. Equipped with an aluminum winch track, 12 sliding winches, and 15 pairs of chain ties, the scale weight is 11,200 lb.
The TL-3000 is built in the Anna, Illinois, plant of the Transcraft Corporation, and it carries the zero maintenance features that Transcraft pioneered, including Grote/Dialight LED lights. The trailer and most components carry a five-year warranty.
M H Eby Builds Punched Panel Livestock Trailers The Bull Ride is the first punched panel livestock trailer for M H Eby Inc of Blue Ball PA. The smooth aluminum interior minimizes animal bruising. The double-embossed ventilation holes are punched in .075" aluminum side sheet.
This 51-ft trailer designed for cattle and hogs has an 8" deep aluminum subframe, to which the Intraax suspension is Huck-bolted. Remote-mounted shock absorbers were moved outboard and to the rear to get more clearance for the rear ramp to the drop center compartment.
The new design floor has a .125" high-button diamondplate floor of alloy 6061 T6 welded to heavy-duty 3" I-beam crossmembers on 12" centers. Four longitudinal ridges in the hard alloy floor increase traction and strength. The rear end has an extruded aluminum rear frame and a 12" wide center post. An aluminum rollup door is on the left, and an optional stainless steel panel is on the right.
Stainless Steel Rivets Fasten Alutrec Flatbeds Alutrec aluminum platform trailers are manufactured in Canada using a novel assembly technique. They are riveted using high-pressure stainless steel rivets, thus avoiding weakening of the alloy in the heat-affected zone when welding. Furthermore, the aluminum planks and main beams are fitted together with tongue-and-groove joints for optimum lateral strength.
Many Alutrec platforms are used in the logging industry, and are fitted with aluminum logging racks that are integrated into the floor. The two trailers exhibited at the Mid-America Trucking Show were equipped with 10-ft spread axles, but the same frame structure is used with quad-axle trailers that can use higher gross loads in Canada. The 48-ft by 102" platform on top weighs about 8,600 lb and the dropframe unit weighs 8,900 lb.
Alutrec is located at 115 Saint-George, Sainte-Agathe, Lotbiniere, some 40 miles southwest of Quebec.
Stainless Steel Rivets Fasten Alutrec Flatbeds Alutrec aluminum platform trailers are manufactured in Canada using a novel assembly technique. They are riveted using high-pressure stainless steel rivets, thus avoiding weakening of the alloy in the heat-affected zone when welding. Furthermore, the aluminum planks and main beams are fitted together with tongue-and-groove joints for optimum lateral strength.
Many Alutrec platforms are used in the logging industry, and are fitted with aluminum logging racks that are integrated into the floor. The two trailers exhibited at the Mid-America Trucking Show were equipped with 10-ft spread axles, but the same frame structure is used with quad-axle trailers that can use higher gross loads in Canada. The 48-ft by 102" platform on top weighs about 8,600 lb and the dropframe unit weighs 8,900 lb.
Alutrec is located at 115 Saint-George, Sainte-Agathe, Lotbiniere, some 40 miles southwest of Quebec.
MAC Adds Round-Bottom Dump MAC Trailer Manufacturing Inc, a new company that started building aluminum and steel dump trailers in 1993, showed its new round-bottom dump trailer at the Mid-America Trucking Show. This 28-ft trailer is made from quarter-inch AR400 steel. The tub is made from four sheets placed laterally, and a 6" channel reinforces each weld seam. Topping the sidewall is a 6" pipe with 1/4" wall thickness. Two 10" channel sections form the hoist housing on the slope nose. At the rear, the rectangular tailgate has dual air-operated latches. The completed trailer is fully shot-blasted and primed with a two-part epoxy, followed by two coats of Sherwin-Williams enamel. MAC Trailer is located in Alliance, Ohio.
Kalyn Siebert Canada Designs Bathtub Bump for US Market Kalyn Siebert Canada has designed a new bathtub dump trailer designed for the US market. The reason for the bathtub shape is that it has generously rounded corners at the sidewall for easy cleanout, yet it has only 4.8% less capacity than the conventional square or flat-floor body. By comparison, the bathtub design has 12.3% more capacity than the half-round dump, according to Kalyn engineers.
The new Kalyn bathtub has a novel design in that flat sheet is not formed or rolled to the 90 degree curve at the bottom of each sidewall. Instead, an aluminum extrusion with the 90 degree curve runs full length of the trailer. Other full-length extrusions serve as the top rail, side rail, and bottom longitudinal. The flat aluminum sheet that forms the floor is 41" wide, and it is easily replaced or doubled if it becomes worn. Another flat sheet forms the sidewall between the side rail and the top rail, and the width of this full-length sheet is variable to produce different heights of sidewall.
Kalyn uses alloy 6061 T6 for the many longitudinal extrusions and alloy 5454 H34 for the three longitudinal sheets. Every seamis welded on both the inside and outside.
A 102" wide Kalyn bathtub dump has an inside width of 94". The 39-ft frameless dump trailer exhibited at the Mid-America Trucking Show had a quarter-inch floor plate and 3/16" sidewall sheet. It weighed 10,500 lb. Options allow for thicker floors of 3/8" or 1/2" and sidewall thickness of 1/4" or 3/8". The extruded radius is available in thicknesses of 1/4" or 3/8".
Kalyn Siebert Inc of Gatesville, Texas, acquired Fabrex of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, in 1998 and changed the name to Kalyn Siebert Canada. After greatly expanding the Fabrex plant, Kalyn shifted some of its production from Texas to Canada to relieve the large backlog of trailers on order.
Kalyn Siebert Canada Designs Bathtub Bump for US Market Kalyn Siebert Canada has designed a new bathtub dump trailer designed for the US market. The reason for the bathtub shape is that it has generously rounded corners at the sidewall for easy cleanout, yet it has only 4.8% less capacity than the conventional square or flat-floor body. By comparison, the bathtub design has 12.3% more capacity than the half-round dump, according to Kalyn engineers.
The new Kalyn bathtub has a novel design in that flat sheet is not formed or rolled to the 90 degree curve at the bottom of each sidewall. Instead, an aluminum extrusion with the 90 degree curve runs full length of the trailer. Other full-length extrusions serve as the top rail, side rail, and bottom longitudinal. The flat aluminum sheet that forms the floor is 41" wide, and it is easily replaced or doubled if it becomes worn. Another flat sheet forms the sidewall between the side rail and the top rail, and the width of this full-length sheet is variable to produce different heights of sidewall.
Kalyn uses alloy 6061 T6 for the many longitudinal extrusions and alloy 5454 H34 for the three longitudinal sheets. Every seam is welded on both the inside and outside.
A 102" wide Kalyn bathtub dump has an inside width of 94". The 39-ft frameless dump trailer exhibited at the Mid-America Trucking Show had a quarter-inch floor plate and 3/16" sidewall sheet. It weighed 10,500 lb. Options allow for thicker floors of 3/8" or 1/2" and sidewall thickness of 1/4" or 3/8". The extruded radius is available in thicknesses of 1/4" or 3/8".
Kalyn Siebert Inc of Gatesville, Texas, acquired Fabrex of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, in 1998 and changed the name to Kalyn Siebert Canada. After greatly expanding the Fabrex plant, Kalyn shifted some of its production from Texas to Canada to relieve the large backlog of trailers on order.
Ravens' Lo-Pro Aluminum Dropdeck Matches 47" Fifthwheel Ravens Inc is adding the Lo-Pro aluminum dropdeck trailer to its product line. The Lo-Pro is designed with a upper counter to match-up with tractor models using a 47-inch fifthwheel. It is two-inches shorter in the transition than standard dropdeck trailers. When a standard trailer is coupled to a tractor equipped with a 47-inch fifthwheel, the trailer leans forward toward the tractor, shifting an excessive amount of the load weight to the drive axles. The Lo-Pro is designed to accommodate the lower fifthwheel and distribute weight evenly on all axles The new Lo-Pro is the third dropdeck trailer Ravens will offer and is currently in production at the Kent manufacturing facility.
"We are adapting our product line based on industry trends and customer demands," said Michael McDonough, vice-president of sales and marketing. "Last year, we introduced our first models of the dropdeck trailer. We are now refining our products to offer a greater variety to more customers." McDonough said that dropdeck trailers provide more flexibility than flatbeds and allow owner-operators and fleets to maximize their hauls.
The Lo-Pro trailer is 96-inches wide and can be ordered in 45 or 48-ft lengths. The upper deck is 11 feet long and is 23 inches above the lower deck, which is 405/8 inches above the ground. Like Ravens other dropdeck models, it is constructed with a one-piece transition with spliced back section, and equipped to be converted to a 48-ft platform trailer.
The new Holland 3500 LowLube The new Holland 3500 LowLube fifthwheel was released for sale April 1, after road testing some of the fifthwheels for over 450,000 miles. The LowLube fifthwheel requires no grease except in the Kingpin lock areas.
The LowLube fifthwheel has a replaceable top plate insert made of non-abrasive urethane and molded to a steel backing plate. Inserts fit into cast recesses of the top plate and are secured by welded studs and locknuts. The Holland Hitch Company provides a two-year, 200-000-mile warranty for the replaceable pad kit.
Inflatable Tube Pulls Slider Pins This Hendrickson Vantraax axle-suspension and K-2 slider system has a new feature: the Quik-Draw slider pin release system. The sliding bogie, tipped for better viewing at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, is seen from the rear. Just below the top flange of the bogie crossmember is a black tube connecting the left- and right-hand slider locking pins. This black tube is made of the same material as air bags for suspensions. When the driver flips a switch controlling an air valve, the tube inflates and shortens in length. This shortening action pulls both slider pins.
Grote SuperNova LED Lamps Mount Same as Incandescent Eight new SuperNova LED lamps from Grote International make switching from incandescent lamps to LEDs easier. All SuperNova LED lamps have the same mounting patterns and lamp-to-harness connections as their incandescent counterparts.
"LEDs burn brighter and last many times longer," says Dominic Grote, marketing services manager. "But up until now incompatible interfaces have hampered the replacement process. Our SuperNovas solve that problem.
SuperNova LED lamps offer durability from the outside and the inside. Externally, the lamps have sealed housings and solid pin connectors to keep moisture and dirt out. Internally, Grote's potting design incorporates new "edge connector technology." By snapping together the track connector and the circuit board, a flawless connection is built, eliminating the potential failure points found in wired/soldered connections.
The potting material itself is of medical grade quality to ensure absolute circuit board protection even if water enters the units due to broken or cracked lenses. This exclusive potting material also eliminates the effects of road shock and vibration because it keeps the electronic components in place relative to the printed circuit board. Together, these unique external and internal features allow Grote to offer a 10-year warranty on its SuperNova LEDs.
SuperNova LEDs use a patented lens design to produce a more uniform and blended light pattern that is less reliant on the output of individual diodes, thus reducing the number of diodes needed and minimizing power draw.
LED performance is severely impacted by a lamp's amperage and operating temperatures. Some manufacturers have increased LED brightness by boosting current to the diodes. "But as current increases, a lamp's short- and long-term performance is temperature, the faster they lose their brightness and the shorter their service life will be."
Grote SuperNova LED Lamps Mount Same as Incandescent Eight new SuperNova LED lamps from Grote International make switching from incandescent lamps to LEDs easier. All SuperNova LED lamps have the same mounting patterns and lamp-to-harness connections as their incandescent counterparts.
"LEDs burn brighter and last many times longer," says Dominic Grote, marketing services manager. "But up until now incompatible interfaces have hampered the replacement process. Our SuperNovas solve that problem.
SuperNova LED lamps offer durability from the outside and the inside. Externally, the lamps have sealed housings and solid pin connectors to keep moisture and dirt out. Internally, Grote's potting design incorporates new "edge connector technology." By snapping together the track connector and the circuit board, a flawless connection is built, eliminating the potential failure points found in wired/soldered connections.
The potting material itself is of medical grade quality to ensure absolute circuit board protection even if water enters the units due to broken or cracked lenses. This exclusive potting material also eliminates the effects of road shock and vibration because it keeps the electronic components in place relative to the printed circuit board. Together, these unique external and internal features allow Grote to offer a 10-year warranty on its SuperNova LEDs.
SuperNova LEDs use a patented lens design to produce a more uniform and blended light pattern that is less reliant on the output of individual diodes, thus reducing the number of diodes needed and minimizing power draw.
LED performance is severely impacted by a lamp's amperage and operating temperatures. Some manufacturers have increased LED brightness by boosting current to the diodes. "But as current increases, a lamp's short- and long-term performance is temperature, the faster they lose their brightness and the shorter their service life will be."
Holland Binkley Shows Airlite 2 Suspensions The new AirLite 2 trailer air suspension by Holland Binkley is designed to reduce stress for greater durability and improved performance, according to Harry Stevenson, marketing manager, suspension products.
Road-input stress is managed in three district ways in the AirLite 2 trailer suspension design, says Stevenson. Vertical forces are managed by a patented air spring beam system that dissipates stress at contact points. Torque arms absorb longitudinal forces. Lateral forces are absorbed into track rod and transferred to the subframe. Dividing stress across these three distinct areas is indirect contrast to trailing arm air suspension.
Designed like a standard truck air suspension, the AirLite 2 suspension reduces auxiliary roll stiffness, enabling it to absorb bumps and keep tires on the road. The result is a smooth, stable ride for driver, cargo, and equipment, Stevenson says. At the same time, the AirLite 2 is 13% lighter to improve operating costs with no sacrifice in durability or performance.
AirLite 2 is designed with industry standard rolling lobe air springs. Optional, double-convoluted air springs for piggyback applications are available to reduce the risk of a pinched or torn air spring.
Holland Binkley warranties the AirLite 2 suspension with five-year coverage for both parts and labor with unlimited mileage.
AirLite 2 can be upgraded to the AirLite 2 Plus, which includes Holland ProPar round or square axles and Holland ProPar brakes. The integrated combination is covered under a single warranty.
For more information, contact Holland Binkley Company, P.O. Box 370, Warrenton, Missouri 63383-0370.
Carrier Transicold Introduces Low-Noise Stealth Ultima 53
Carrier Transicold has introduced low-noise technology as optional equipment for its Ultima 53 highway trailer refrigeration unit. The Stealth options are available as two factory-installed packages and as one kit for retrofit installation in the field.
The basic factory-installed Stealth option package results in a noise reduction of 4 dB(A), and the full package of factory-installed options reduces noise output 10 dB(A). The field kit for retrofit installation offers noise reduction of 7 dB(A). The Ultima 53 with the full Stealth option is quieter than a common household vacuum cleaner, operating at 68 dB(A) compared to 70 dB(A) for the vacuum cleaner, according to Ty Kline, midwest regional sales manager for Carrier Transicold. Noise measurements are logarithmic instead of linear so a 3 dB(A) increase in sound level results in a 100% increase in perceived noise.
All three installations share a new silenced air filter for the engine intake, a sound-blocking panel under the engine, new heavy duty door seals, and noise absorbing material in the doors. This constitutes the basic Stealth package.
The field retrofit kit adds a resonator to the air intake plumbing and a baffled grille to dissipate sound projected from the front of the unit. To reach maximum noise abatement, the full Stealth option, available only from the factory, adds more sound insulation around the engine, including a noise abs orbing panel behind the engine and a panel above the engine. The top level factory option also includes a new low-noise condenser fan.
In addition to its sound reduction package, the Ultima 53 has high refrigeration capacity for rapid box pull-down, says Kline, allowing the unit to operate at low speed for a greater percentage of its running time. This also contributes to noise reduction, Kline says.
Neway, Spicer Debut iPAC System Neway Anchorlok International introduced iPAC--an air ride suspension/axle package that provides improvements to trailer OEMs in cost, durability, performance, assembly efficiency, and serviceability.
Neway has combined forces with Dana's Spicer Trailer Products Division to offer a standard integrated package of air suspension, axle, and brake componentry delivered as a complete subassembly. The benefits for trailer manufacturers are less assembly time, reduced inventory, and simplified supply logistics. Attachment of the suspension to the axle is accomplished through Neway's NEWeld axle connection.
Standard equipment on iPAC includes Neway's proven RL-228 air suspension with E-Z Align non-welded alignment feature, Anchorlok Gold Seal spring brakes, a 71 1/2"-track Spicer axle with Spicer Silver foundation brakes, and Spicer automatic slack adjusters.
NEWeld is a nonwelded axle connec-tion. It makes it possible for Neway and Spicer to offer an air ride suspension/axle package with no weld on the axle tube inside of the brake spiders. This allows for the use of thinner wall axles and short camshafts, which reduces weight. NEWeld is the result of four years of design, development, and testing.
While the iPAC system is only available with Spicer axles, the NEWeld technology can be utilized to attach Neway's air ride suspensions to any commercially available axle. In laboratory and field testing by Neway, Spicer, and others, NEWeld has been proven far superior to any other suspension-to-axle connection available in the global trailer-air-ride suspension industry, according to Neway officials. The NEWeld axle connection carries a lifetime warranty for the original owner of the trailer. iPAC also carries a five-year, 500,000-mile warranty on the air ride suspension and the axle.
ipAC options include a wider 77 1/2"-track axle, Anchorlok's Life Seal spring brakes (with a six-year warranty), and Carlisle MB21 foundation brakes. iPAC is available in 22,500-lb and 25,000- lb capacity models and is offered in both top-mount and underslung designs in a variety of ride heights.
iPAC will be shipped completely assembled and can be purchased from both Neway Anchorlok International and Spicer Trailer Products Division. Multiple shipping points will help minimize delivery costs for trailer OEMs.
Neway also expanded its air ride suspension lineup. The RLU-250 and RLU-250-FMT are 25,000-lb (11,340 kg) rated suspensions designed for heavy-duty, low profile trailer applications.
The RLU-250 incorporates Neway's exclusive two-pin bushing design, which provides excellent roll stability and improved vehicle tracking and tire life. The end result is a reduced weight, heavy-duty air ride suspension rated for both on- and off-highway applications. The RLU-250 features prelocated shock absorber mounting brackets and can be used in liftable axle applications.
The RLU-250-FMT is designed for lowboy (double drop) trailers and, when combined with the RLU-250 suspension, provides optimum deck space and cargo capacity. Both suspension designs incorporate common air springs and shock absorbers providing excellent load equalization, as well as parts commonality. Both models include Neway's E-Z Align field axle realignment as a standard feature. Each carries Neway's standard five-year, 500,000-mile warranty.