Bendix touts new trailer disc brakes
Bryan Self, a trailer account manager for Bendix, introduced the company’s newly designed air disc brake for trailers, the ADB22X-LT.
“Today’s market demands more, one solution that weighs less and carries more, one that reduces downtime and total cost of ownership, and still meets the industry’s highest safety standards,” the company said in a promotional video. “More is here – the ADB22X-LT air disc brake from Bendix.”
Bendix touted the new ADB system as the lightest in North American trailers, with weight savings of 40 pounds per tandem axle set, along with the company’s field-proven longevity.
“The LT takes the ADB22X design, now on nearly 90 percent of today’s air disc brake installations, and optimizes it for trailers,” the company said. “That means lowered total cost of ownership thanks to common replacement wear items like pads on the tractor and trailer, simplifying inventory needs, reducing maintenance procedures and eliminating the time required to train technicians on more than one ADB system.”
The Bendix LT features a new pad that offers up to a 40-percent improvement in wear rate, the company said, 8 percent more wearable volume, and meets the EPA’s 2021 copper-free brake initiative requirements.
Replacement parts also are readily available through an extensive aftermarket network, with more than 5,000 outlets.
The Bendix LT also boasts a redesigned and reshaped caliper and carrier that reduce weight, and a new adjust mechanism that increases pad life and lowers the risk of brake drag. Prospective customers can check their potential savings with Bendix’s wheel-end value calculator at valuebybendix.com.
Citing an independent 2017 study, the company said installing air disc brakes on trailers improves stopping-distance performance, too, with a tractor-trailer combination totaling 80,000 pounds and equipped with all air disc brakes stopping 20 feet sooner than one with all drum brakes.
With a 10-mph increase, the difference was more dramatic – with a 50-foot improvement in stopping distance.
“Air disc brakes help keep trailers behind the tractor during hard stops, which is where you want them,” the company said.
Kinedyne unveils curtain-side systems
Scott Frazier, a national account manager at cargo-control specialist Kinedyne, introduced the company’s new line of Kin-Slider side- and aerial-access systems, and the Kaptive Beam CS loading system.
The Kin-Slider QR and FR are curtain-side vehicle access systems. The curtains slide from both ends of the truck body so cargo is accessible across the length of the vehicle, and can be unlocked, opened, closed and relocked within 30 seconds. Faster cargo access gives delivery vehicles great flexibility and latitude when making deliveries in dense urban cores and cul-de-sacs.
“(They) provide faster and more efficient alternatives for fleets with chassis-mounted truck bodies using rear- or side-mounted roll-up doors or traditional curtain walls,” said Dan Schlotterbeck, president of Kinedyne North America.
The Kin-Slider LR, featuring a 30,000-pound load rating, is a European-style, 30-second sliding curtain wall that gives a trailer the combined advantages of flat-bed access and a van’s walled structure. With a load-rated curtain-side system, the structural curtain provides a lateral restraint for otherwise fully secured loads.
The Kin-Slider SR 30-second aerial access system features non-binding rollers and patented folding plates that enable operators to quickly and easily open and close the roof without climbing or cranking. The sliding roof makes loading and unloading long cargo easy and convenient, and allows the use of overhead cranes. The system works with trailers and truck bodies with structural walls, and can be paired with other curtain-wall, rapid-access products.
“(It) isn’t just a sliding roof – it’s a revolutionary new technology that transcends traditional tarp-based solutions,” Schlotterbeck said.
The Kin-Slider CR and TR replace traditional curtain-sided systems commonly used on straight trucks and tractor-trailers. Closures include web assemblies with over-center, buckle-and-hook fasteners at the bottom of vertical reinforcements augmented with double screws and bolt plates, and a tensioning mechanism.
The Kaptive Beam CS is a double-decking loading system for curtain-side trailers that maximizes load density, allowing loading and unloading access of two cargo levels from the sides and rear.
“Kinedyne’s Kaptive Beam double-decking system increases profits by increasing a trailer’s load capacity by up to 100 percent,” said Eric Smitsdorff, Kinedyne’s product manager for cargo access technologies.
AWS offers wheel inventory solutions
Advanced Wheel Sales is the North American leader in wheel inventory management, subassembly and logistics for OEMs, according to a video presented by Mark Holtz, the company’s vice president of business development.
“Since 1999, Advanced Wheel Sales gets customers moving,” the company said. “With humble beginnings, we started with a pile of wheels and a warehouse. Over time, we’ve scaled to become North America’s largest commercial wheel wholesaler and OEM tire sub assembler. Coast to coast, AWS is your local service solution.”
AWS positions itself as a solution for OEM customers who already are burdened with the tasks of manufacturing equipment and managing “dozens and dozens” of suppliers, and who want to avoid sinking cash into inventory that ties up resources – and shop floors cluttered with “dead” inventory due to evolving specs.
“OEM customers saw a simpler way, a path toward reducing inventory, increasing cash flow and cutting out complicated logistics,” the company said.
“They turned to AWS and we stepped up to the challenge.”
AWS inventories thousands of wheels across the US and Canada, stocking a full lineup of trailer tires from trusted brands and consigned customer tires with the goal of making timely deliveries against OEM orders and forecasts by tailoring inventory at each warehouse to meet customers’ anticipated needs.
The company boasts high-speed, custom mounting stations capable of assembling a tire and rim in less than 90 seconds, giving it the ability to stack, band and wrap 5,000 completed tire and wheel assemblies daily.
AWS has eight locations across the continent, including two in Canada and warehouses in Houston TX, Las Vegas NV, Newton IA, Atlanta GA, Jacksonville FL and Columbus OH.
“We deliver completed assemblies to your door just in time for production, and with locations across North America we are only a day or two away from your shop door,” the company said.
IMG aims to ‘keep things simple’
Insurance Management Group (IMG) isn’t just an insurance company – it’s a culture and an experience.
That’s the company’s mantra, displayed prominently on its website, www.insmgt.com, and the central theme of a video presentation introduced by Scott Reeder, an IMG business insurance advisor, at this year’s TTMA convention.
“At the core, we really have a passion for people,” said Trent Daily, IMG’s CEO. “Everybody here, most of them are altruists. They really want to help people. They’re concerned with what’s going on with your family. They’re going the extra step because they care, not because they have to.”
IMG, an all-risk insurance agency based in Indiana, works with multiple insurance carriers to tailor coverage for clients’ needs through risk mitigation services, risk management software and internal underwriters.
Their services include auto, property and umbrella insurance for businesses, workers’ compensation insurance and employee benefits management, and their listed specialties include manufacturing, trucking, and warehousing and distribution insurance.
“We use our attention to detail to dive deeply into your organization by gaining an understanding of what makes you best in class over your peer group, or identify areas of improvement to help your business from an insurance standpoint over time,” Reeder said.
“Doing so allows us to paint a picture to the insurance community to tell your story in a way that differentiates us from presentations from other brokers, benefiting your company both in the short and long term.”
IMG uses its tools and resources to “keep things simple,” Reeder said, and identify the most appropriate coverage and best price.
The company’s risk mitigation service seeks to identify and lessen a business’s potential operational hazards, their risk management software is designed to help clients stay informed with current industry trends and potential marketplace changes, and a staff of internal underwriters provide “unique insight.”
“This allows us to present your business to the insurance marketplace in a way that entices and solicits multiple carriers, finding the company that is the best fit for your business,” Reeder said.
SoundOff masters lighting safety
SoundOff’s mpower lights and bluePRINT control systems make trailers safer and customers more profitable, the company said in a video presented by Bill Wakefield, vice president and general manager of commercial vehicle products.
“At SoundOff commercial vehicle solutions, we’ve mastered the safety lessons of vehicle lighting,” the company said. “We’ve been passionately illuminating the way in the industry with smart design and engineering, as well as efficient manufacturing of lighting and control products for a wide variety of vehicle markets.
“These markets include education (SoundOff is the largest US school bus LED lighting supplier), law enforcement, amber lighting for vocational markets, and truck and trailer commercial vehicle markets.”
According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration statistics, the average cost of a heavy truck crash is around $172,000 per incident, and with 400,000 or more heavy trucks involved in motor vehicle accidents every year in the US alone, those dollars add up.
Of those 400,000 truck crashes, around 18 percent are rear-end wrecks, which are significantly more dangerous, and 6 percent of passenger vehicle/semi rear-end crashes occur at night – with 40 percent of trucks involved found to have lighting violations.
“Headquartered in the Midwestern United States and continuously profitable for over 25 years, we have one focus – to deliver lighting solutions that help make your world safer, and thereby more productive and profitable,” the company said.
SoundOff’s mpower product, developed in partnership with Dow Corning, delivered the industry’s first silicon lenses that withstand extreme usage in weather conditions well beyond traditional polycarbonate lenses, the company said. And their “unique and proprietary” bluePRINT control system automates lighting and other vehicle functions to improve efficiency and eliminate human error.
They’re also at the forefront of autonomous vehicle lighting as an SAE J3134 member.
“The people in and around your truck and trailers deserve the best possible effort at ensuring safety, and a strong partnership with SoundOff commercial vehicle solutions puts that safety right at your side,” the company said.
STEMCO highlights new axle fastener
STEMCO highlighted its new Zip-Torq axle fastener and Trailer Tail Automatic products in a video presented by Brad Stinson, STEMCO’s vice president of engineering, at this year’s TTMA convention.
Zip-Torq is a fully unitized, single-piece axle fastener designed to be the safest and easiest to install spindle nut in the industry, reducing installation time and providing piece of mind through a patented self-locking system.
Zip-Torq works with preset and standard wheel-end applications and is compatible with a long-life STEMCO Platinum Performance System.
“The secret is in its unitized design, specially engineered to prevent inadvertent backoffs,” the company said. “When threaded onto the axle, Zip-Torq is secured by its heavy-duty self-locking mechanism.
“Zip-Torq free spins onto the axle, engaging the extra-wide tang with the axle keyway. As the nut is spun onto the spindle threads, it contacts the bearing surface, compressing the assembly and engaging the teeth with the collar. Consistent locking force is then maintained by the high-strength wave spring.”
For more specific installation instructions, see STEMCO’s Zip-Torq installation video at www.stemco.com/211.
The Trailer Tail Automatic, which automatically deploys when a vehicle reaches 35 mph, is designed to deliver independently verified 5-percent fuel savings and prevent damage from dock doors.
“With more than 10 years of real-world experience and more than 55,000 Trailer Tail units on the road, accumulating more than 7 billion miles traveled, we’ve learned a thing or two about what drivers, fleet owners and managers want in their equipment,” the company said. “With up to 14 hours of driving in a day, drivers can get tired, and they forget to step out and close the Trailer Tail before backing into a loading dock.
“The new Trailer Tail automatic works with the STEMCO TracBat Aero speed sensor to automatically close the Trailer Tail when the vehicle is stopped or in reverse, saving time and eliminating the need for driver interaction.”
TracBat Aero, based on STEMCO’s DataTrac and TracBat electronic hubodometers, provides the speed signal to open and close the Trailer Tail Automatic, and provides accurate trailer mileage as a bonus.
AZZ name change reflects new offerings
AZZ Galvanizing Services, the world’s largest hot-dip galvanizer, is now AZZ Metal Coatings, a name change designed to reflect the company’s expanded services, which include powder coating.
Joe Langemeier, AZZ’s vice president of alternative coatings, introduced a video elaborating on the new service during the TTMA’s annual convention.
“In addition to hot-dip galvanizing, we now provide a powerful range of coatings, plating, anodizing, passivation, blasting and dry-film lube applications,” the company said. “Even more exciting for our customers, AZZ Metal Coatings now offers powder coating.
“Powder coating offers a number of important benefits. (It) creates a uniform, high-quality and attractive finish, and it’s available in a wide variety of colors and textures that will stay bright and vibrant for decades to come.”
Most importantly, powder coating is a green technology – it doesn’t contain solvents, or release volatile organic compounds or hazardous pollutants into the atmosphere – that provides durable corrosion protection, and it’s more resistant to chipping, scratching, fading and wear than other finishes.
“We can also support tens and tens of tons of weight, so we can handle anything you can ship to us,” said Gordon Briggs, regional manager for AZZ Metal Coatings.
AZZ’s Crowley TX facility, AZZ Crowley Powder Coats, boasts the largest powder-coating oven in the United States, capable of handling material up to 60 feet long – including an entire 53-foot trailer – which allows customers to obtain environmentally friendly coatings on large structures.
And AZZ Enhanced Powder Coating in Gainesville TX is Nadcap certified to process sensitive aerospace components.
“AZZ has been an active member of TTMA for eight years,” the company said. “With our strategically located facilities in North Texas, we can serve many TTMA members today – with plans to serve even more in the future.”
Walther intros Dura-Light hub, rotor
Chris Walther, president of Walther Engineering & Manufacturing Company, which has produced wheel-end products for more than 100 years, was on hand at this year’s TTMA show to introduce the company’s new Dura-Light Hub & Rotor for air disc brakes.
The new hub and rotor joins the company’s Dura-Light Hub, Easy-Roll Hub and Drum, patented corrosion-resistant CR-ABS Brake Rotor and Dura-Force hydraulic caliper products.
“The Walther history with disc brakes began in 1968 with Ford and extended into medium trucks with General Motors, Navistar and currently with Freightliner,” the company said. “The decades of experience with disc brakes and Dura-Light Hubs have culminated in the development of the innovative Dura-Light Hub & Rotor for air disc brakes.”
The Dura-Light Hub & Rotor features easily replaceable wheel bolts and bearings, indestructible hubcap threads and pilots, and the largest lubricant capacity, and the assembly is uniquely designed for air disc brakes, with Walther’s focus on heat management, durability and serviceability.
To manage heat, and extend the life of rotor, seal and lubricant, the Dura-Light Hub & Rotor uses an 82-pound rotor to absorb thermal energy, reducing heat-cycle temperature variations and brake-surface micro-cracking.
The company’s u-shaped rotor reached a temperature of 385 degrees after one stop at 23,000 pounds GAWR, when braking at 75 mph, in one test, compared to 452 degrees for a flat rotor and 529 for a splined rotor.
To extend bearing and seal life, the Dura-Light Hub & Rotor isolates the seals and lubricant from brake heat with a longer heat path from rotor to seal, along with the Dura-Light material’s improved thermal conductivity, which is 35-percent less than standard hubs and 86-percent less than aluminum hubs.
When service is required, the maintenance-friendly Dura-Light hub-to-rotor attachment utilizes the wheel bolts for simple and error-proof installation, allowing damaged bolts to be replaced while on the vehicle. The Dura-Light also includes patented, corrosion-resistant ABS construction, with the tone ring incorporated into the rotor, eliminating costly rotor replacement due to corrosion-induced ABS signal loss.
“The Dura-Light Hub & Rotor payback is achieved from extended rotor, bearing and seal life, as well as ease of maintenance, reduced downtime, increased payload and fuel economy,” the company said.
Sherwin Williams serves trailer makers
Dan Szczepanik, Sherwin Williams’ marketing director, touted the company’s improved ability to serve the truck and trailer markets since the acquisition of Valspar last year during his presentation at the TTMA show.
Sherwin Williams and Valspar’s combined sales of $16 billion in 2016 would make them the global leader in paints and coatings today.
PPG did $14.2 billion in sales in 2016.
“Today, we now service truck-trailers worldwide, and in our backyard,” Szczepanik said. “In North America, we have 70 facilities ready and willing to modify, match and deliver product locally. It’s a very powerful distribution platform.
“We lead the way for truck-trailer coatings – in corrosion, process and performance.”
The company’s history includes coating the Spirit of St. Louis, corrosion protection on the Golden Gate Bridge and the development of John Deere green.
“We were the first company to make a ready-made paint with a resealable can, (and) the first company to actually employ a college-educated chemist,” Szczepanik said.
Now they’re looking to leverage a vast line of versatile, corrosion-resistant, low-VOC products, including Sherwin’s Dura-Plate epoxies, to save truck and trailer makers time, energy and money.
“(Corrosion) is an issue today and it will continue to be an issue, and we are dedicated to this,” Szczepanik said. “We take our military and aerospace experience – two markets that have the utmost demand for corrosion resistance – and put that into technology for the truck-trailer market.”
Szczepanik also touched on new coating technologies Sherwin Williams is working on, including graphene-based coatings, which can produce thin, heat resistant, conductive films that are impermeable to water and oil, with extreme UV resistance.
“It is a single layer of carbon that has unique properties we’re still trying to understand that can provide the next state-of-the-art corrosion protection, chemical resistance and hardness in the thinnest layers imaginable,” he said.
Szczepanik also espoused the potential of self-healing and super hydrophobic coatings.
“Imagine a coating that chemicals and salt solutions cannot even wet out,” Szczepanik said. “They roll right off the surface.
“That can extend the performance of your truck-trailer immensely.”
MGM Brakes boasts ‘premium’ systems
Chris Shreve, MGM Brake’s military and government sales manager, presented a video highlighting his company’s premium, heavy-duty brake actuators and monitoring systems for the commercial vehicle industry.
“We are a safety company first and foremost, and we are not going to compromise,” said Bryan Schrandt, senior vice president for sales and marketing. “MGM Brakes is always going to take the high road and do what’s required to make the product last longer, even if it becomes uncompetitive.
“In the end, lives are a stake, so safety is paramount.”
MGM Brakes, a division of Indian Head Industries, was founded in 1956 in California in response to the needs of the lumber industry, leading to the development of the first spring brake actuator.
The company’s goal is to create the world’s “longest-lasting, most durable brake actuators.”
“We carry over $2.2 million worth of inventory and it’s readily available,” said Kim Jones, a senior administration manager. “We ship within 48 hours, so we can get your truck back up and running to make sure that you can deliver to your customers. Both of your plants are in the United States … and we will always manufacture in the United States.”
The company’s brake monitoring system, invented in 1988, enables the operator of a vehicle to tell if their brakes are properly adjusted. MGM’s brakes, being a “premium” product, typically are installed on vehicles in severe-service and military markets, including commercial vehicles and public transit.
“They (public transit) embraced the technology several years ago, and most every one of the systems we have in service today are on some type of public transit bus,” said Randy King, a national sales manager.
MGM Brakes also has a history of licensing its technology.
“In our minds, it’s not correct to hold back safety technology,” Schrandt said. “It was a conscious decision by the company to offer it to all competitors from a licensing perspective, so that it could spread throughout the industry.”
Pure Asphalt touts corrosion control
Pure Asphalt Company business manager Tom Nelson highlighted his company’s line of specialty corrosion control undercoats, paints and primers during a presentation at the TTMA show.
Nelson said Pure Asphalt pays close attention to developing coatings that are resistant to magnesium chloride road salts, which are extremely corrosive.
“The problems with these brine solutions are that they rewet with subsequent snow and rain,” Nelson said. “It’s great for municipalities because they can put them down less often than traditional road salts, (but) it’s more aggressive and adheres better, so it’s harder to remove than standard road salts.”
Pure Asphalt boasts two types of corrosion resistance testing chambers at its facility, ASTM B117, which is a 5-percent salt spray solution test, and the cyclical dry and wet type magnesium chloride testing.
Major automobile manufactures require independent testing for this kind of resistance.
“Not many people have those, unless you’re doing independent testing, but we have both types of chambers at our facility,” Nelson said.
Nelson also said Pure Asphalt tested several of its coatings with Detroit Labs to make sure they’re compliant with the most stringent requirements.
The company’s products include magnesium chloride resistant undercoatings, cavity waxes – for channels or coupler voids involving interior applications – primer and topcoat systems, and sealants for seams.
“Rubberized asphaltic undercoat is great for chip resistance and corrosion in undercoatings,” Nelson said. “If you want to get even better corrosion resistance, you’re really looking at a wax or resin-based self-healing type of corrosion protection. Those tend to reflow back over the chips.”
Pure Asphalt also offers high-performance sacrificial coatings that act as a sacrificial barrier between the metal substrate and environment, potentially adding “years to the life of a trailer,” Nelson said.
“We’re also doing a lot in the aftermarket for refurbishing units,” he said. “They’re available in zero-UFC water base, as well as a California-compliant solvent base.”
Ancra advances cargo control systems
Jeff Murillo, Ancra International’s director of engineered cargo system sales, introduced a video featuring the company’s cargo handling and restraint systems, including the Lift-A-Deck II, Logist-A-Panel and Vers-A-Deck.
Ancra’s winches comply with DOT, WSTDA-T3 and Canadian standard 905 regulations.
They’re available in different sizes and configurations, including 7-mm winches that reduce weight per winch by 2 pounds. Ancra also offers web, combination, cable and lashing winches, PortaWinch and PortaAnchor, and winch tracking.
The Lift-A-Deck II decking system, Ancra’s patented adjusted second deck, is designed to double the amount of palletized freight a trailer can handle, with the ability to mix loads by only partially double-decking.
“Ancra will assist in evaluating your needs to determine the best Lift-a-Deck II system configuration for your fleet’s application,” the company said. “(And the) Lift-a-Deck II can easily be operated by a single person.
“Increase load average and reduce damage claims by avoiding double-stacking of freight.”
Logist-A-Panel system combines the Lift-a-Deck II beam system with slotted panels, providing customizable shoring and strapping. The system creates a combination captive beam decking and shoring wall system, replacing the standard plywood or linear plywood from a sheet and post trailer.
Vers-A-Deck is compatible with Vers-A-Deck beams and e-beams, as well as logistic straps with e-fittings in the same system, and creates a second deck at the same height with mixed-beam types.
The low-profile Vers-A-Deck beam boasts a working load limit rating of 3,000 pounds and a maximum cargo weight per beam of 750 pounds.
“This system provides all the benefits of traditional captive decking systems along with new and improved versatility,” the company said.
Ancra’s Retract-A-Roll is its latest pneumatic roller-floor track system.
It features steel top plates and rollers, aluminum lower sections, 2-inch or twin-skate wheel rollers, easy disassembly for inspection or repair, and is powered by the truck and trailer’s existing air supply.
“Ancra puts aircraft cargo loading convenience in your trailer with Retract-a-Roll 2 and 3 roller floor systems,” the company said. “Loading and unloading is quicker, reducing handling time and lowering labor costs.”
Continental offers ‘affordable’ TPMS
Continental Tire’s ContiPressureCheck Solo tire pressure monitoring system is an affordable solution for real-time monitoring of trailer tire pressure and temperature that saves fleets time and money, and, most importantly, keeps them safer, according to a presentation from Mike Kachin, head of Continental’s OE Trailer NA.
The system, which the company said also is compliant with pending greenhouse gas regulations, consists of three components: tire sensors, a central control unit for data processing and a notification light.
The sensors, available factory-fitted or as a retrofit, are mounted on the inner liner of the tire, eliminating damage from curbing, weather conditions and theft. They’re expected to last six years or 400,000 miles.
The central control unit continuously receives data from the tire sensors for tire pressure and temperature. If low pressure is identified in any of the trailer’s tires, the central unit activates the notification light, which features multiple levels of low-pressure alerts to reflect the issue’s severity.
“For severe low pressure, the light signals at an optimal rate to ensure driver visibility in real time without causing distraction,” the company said. “(And) data can be integrated into trailer telematics platforms, allowing back-office support personnel to view tire pressure remotely.”
The low-maintenance, standalone tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) works well with drop-and-hook scenarios and, since it’s not connected to trailer air hoses, doesn’t introduce additional leak points.
“The driver simply sees the notification light and reacts to the severity of the alert to decide when to re-inflate the low tire,” the company said.
Continental experts will certify a trailer manufacturer or dealer’s technicians on proper installation of the central control until and notification light. Intelligent tires equipped with sensors can be shipped directly from Continental.
“As a leading technology company in our industries, Continental is uniquely equipped to provide optimal support in digital tire monitoring, TPMS, and we will continue to lead the way with unparalleled innovation,” the company said.
PetersonPULSE makes trailers ‘smart’
Peterson Manufacturing touted its PetersonPULSE Intelligent trailer system in a video presentation introduced by Allyn Leake, the company’s director of heavy duty sales, at this year’s TTMA show.
“Next-generation trucks are super smart and information rich – big rolling computers that can literally drive themselves,” the company said. “But what about trailers? Those boxes on wheels that actually carry the loads and deliver that precious cargo. Peterson thinks it’s time that fleet trailers got smarter, too.”
PULSE brings CAN-bus (controller area network) and telematic technology into a trailer in Peterson’s patented “information super highway.” The system not only monitors trailer location and cargo condition, it detects real-time status of trailers systems and alerts drivers and fleet managers as issues occur.
It’s the first patented CAN-bus technology engineered specifically for fleet trailers.
The system can check for light outages, ABS brake events, tire pressure, wheel-end temperature, cargo temperature and open cargo doors, and provides utilization and mileage reports and battery backup for untethered monitoring.
“With PULSE, you always have the information you need to better manage your equipment, improve safety and timely performance, ensure CSA compliance, avoid road incidents, violations and costly fines,” the company said.
The system features Peterson’s LuminX LED lights and the Maxi-Seal division’s harness-building expertise, ensuring all components are fully sealed and vibration-tested, the company said.
PULSE is engineered to CAN-bus specs, with high-speed, twisted-pair communication wires and critical sensors installed throughout the trailer. The twisted-pair cabling, which links the control units with the sensors like networked computers, is lighter and more flexible than traditional multi-wire harnesses.
Drivers also can perform a quick pre-trip inspection of all trailer systems with Peterson’s “Know Before You Go” safeguard feature.
“The rear control unit monitors signals from the lights, tires, ABS, doors and other trailer systems, and sends that data via CAN-bus to the front controller located inside the nose box, which then relays the information via Bluetooth to the driver’s mobile device,” the company said.
“All critical information is sent to fleet managers via a cellular network.”
