Wabash National Corp has received orders exceeding $70 million from J B Hunt Transport Services. Orders are for 6,000 53-foot domestic containers and for a smaller number of container chassis. The containers will be a new design using Wabash's proprietary Duraplate technology. The stackable, high-cube design features an uninterrupted sidewall and interior dimensions that will resemble a conventional van trailer.
The new containers will be the first 53-ft units in the J B Hunt fleet that can be positioned on the bottom of a double-stack railcar. They also will be the first production domestic containers to use Duraplate material, according to Wabash.
These orders will enable J B Hunt to replace its 48-ft intermodal container fleet with exclusively 53-ft stackable containers.
Kirk Thompson, president and chief executive officer of J B Hunt Transport Services, said, “Our rail partners will have the option of stacking the new containers on top in traditional configurations or in the bottom of 53-ft railcars.”
Thompson also said with a fleet exclusively of 53-ft equipment, logistics will be simplified. He also expects a substantial reduction in maintenance costs.