In an ongoing annual tradition, TTMA associate members provided updates on their companies’ trailer-related products and services during the convention. Allotted four minutes each, the presentations opened each morning’s general session.
In order of appearance, as introduced by Associates Chair Bobbie Bell of CMC:
AXN Heavy Duty
John Logan, SVP, sales and marketing, introduced attendees to the AXN Heavy Duty G555 mechanical suspension slide box for box vans and flatbeds. The unit can be e-coated or hot dipped galvanized, and Logan noted that AXN is the only company in North America that can provide a “truly hot dipped galvanized axle.” The AXN bogey systems are assembled to spec and P.S.I.’s automatic tire inflation system is also available.
AXN Heavy Duty, headquartered in Louisville, is responsible for the design, engineering, specifications, development, manufacturing, sales, marketing and support of products for the North American and global commercial vehicle industry.
Serving trucks, trailers, and buses in both the OEM and Aftermarket segment, AXN Heavy Duty products include trailer axles, mechanical suspensions, and landing gear.
Visit www.axnheavyduty.com.
Friedman Industries
Matt Apoka, commercial manager, introduced a video that emphasized the company’s commitment to high quality flat-roll and tubular steel products, and quick delivery. Friedman’s focus is on hot-rolled, cut-to-length sheet and plate serving diverse industries such as truck-trailer, railcar, waste containers, metal buildings and storage tanks. The flat-roll division operates five hot-roll coal processing facilities, with capabilities to ensure customers receive the best in surface, shape, and flatness qualities. The facilities produce sheet and plate ranging from 16 gauge to 1” thick in widths ranging from 36-in. wide to 96-in. wide. Friedman also maintains an extensive inventory for just-in-time delivery. In addition to strong and lasting relationships with suppliers, the company also uses risk management tools to provide long-term fixed-price solutions for customers who want to reduce their price exposure risk.
Headquartered in Longview, Texas, Friedman Industries was incorporated in 1965 and has been publicly owned since 1972.
Visit friedmanindustries.com.
Armory Technologies
A year after introducing Armory Technologies and their “origami composites” technology, Vice President of Sales Dan McGivney shared a video of customer reaction to the lightweight AmorONE panel. The panels, billed as being able reduce trailer weight by 2,000 lbs., also provide superior insulating and shock absorbing characteristics. Armory worked with a prominent fleet partner, a Carrier Transicold dealer, a leading national box truck fleet, and several dry van private fleets. The test partners reported weight savings ranging from 800 lbs. to 1,800 lbs., depending on vehicle, and also saw maintenance and repair cost benefits. Additional pilots are planned for the rest of 2024.
ArmorONE panels use the Origami Composite MetaCORE. Armory Technologies takes common materials—metals, polymers, and composites—and shapes them into proprietary, 3D geometric patterns. The design results in products that can be lighter and stronger, and the Armor One panel installs just like regular panels. Amory Technologies also notes that its domestically sourced raw materials feature very high recycled content.
Visit www.armorytechnologies.com.
SAF Holland
A year after the merger with Haldex, SAF Holland President-Americas Kent Jones shared a video highlighting the advantages of an intelligent trailer technology delivering “new levels of innovation and interconnectivity.” At the heart of the system is the Intelligent Trailer Control Module, or ITCM. The ITCM integrates, coordinates, and communicates with all the electronic technologies of the intelligent trailer, providing drivers and fleet owners critical data in real time. Sitting in the trailer frame, the ITCM electronic control unit offers expandable functionality for connecting a variety of auxiliary modules such as antilock brake systems, roll stability control, auto-lift axle control, tire pressure management systems, PC diagnostics and info-center tools, brake system monitoring, disc brake pad-wear sensors and more. The ITCM integrates with the CAN network and will facilitate wireless communication. And the ITCM is designed to integrate future enhancements that bring new innovative safety and efficiency protocols onto SAF Holland axle and suspension packages.
For OEMs, SAF Holland will deliver an entire intelligent trailer package mountain “wired and ready to go,” saving time and money currently dedicated to engineering, integrating and assembling parts.
Such seamless integration supports the assertion that SAF Holland and Haldex are “stronger together.”
Visit safholland.com.
Aperia Technologies
Ralph Dimenna, chief commercial officer at Aperia Technologies, brought a hub unit of the company’s Halo Connect i3 automatic tire inflation system onto stage, because the video he presented “doesn’t do it justice.” The system, billed as the only intelligent ATIS for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and trailers, works on all wheel positions and is “completely connected” to give the user “eyes and ears on everything that’s going on” with the vehicle’s tire pressure. The Aperia system is self-powered, and the rotational energy of the tire both powers the inflator and “keeps all the connectivity going” by generating enough electricity “to keep everything powered and the batteries fully charged,” Dimenna explained.
Halo Connect i3 installs in five minutes and does not need to be removed for tire service. It is compatible with most makes and models, axles, hub diameters, and wheels. Featuring two-way communication, fleets can adjust tire pressure post-deployment, ensuring consistent inflation despite temperature changes, tire type, or vehicle load.
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Aperia boasts more than 100 billion real-world miles on its ATIS line, which first hit the market 10 years ago. That dataset informs the company’s analytics tool, designed to identify over-the-road tire problems, provide alerts before the driver realizes there’s a problem, and thus reduce downtime.
Visit aperiatech.com.
Reyco Granning*
Dan Giles, southern region sales manager, shared the suspension provider’s video that highlighted Reyco Granning’s history and product lines. Touting the company’s centennial year, the video emphasized that Reyco Granning has a suspension “to meet every specialty trailer application,” including heavy-haul, dump, liquid or dry bulk, agriculture, mining, waste, forestry, and more. In terms of products, the AR family of air-ride suspensions cover gross axle weight ratings of 20,000, 23,000, 25,000, and 30,000 lbs. Axle thrust-angle alignment is intuitive and simple to perform with a single technician. The AR family is available with or without an integrated axle; when the axle is included it can be bare spindle or dressed with the range of hub and brake configurations, including air disc. Other options for the AR family include a lift axle kit, alternative coatings, including galvanization, and custom interface configurations like body attachment brackets or full subframe.
Visit reycogranning.com.
Atotech
Product Marketing Manager Stephen Raynor prefaced his video by explaining that Atotech, a global chemical company, manufactures and supports paint pretreatment chemistries, plating, and zinc-flake materials. And while the video—featuring animated, detailed wire-frame renderings of various products and the R&D behind them—focused on the primary characteristics, coating options, and advantages of various Atotech fasteners, Raynor emphasized that the company uses some of the same technologies across its line, all formulated and applied to allow customers to build long-lasting vehicles.
Visit www.atotech.com.
Day 2 presentations
Sherwin-Williams
Thomas Englebrecht, global marketing manager, transportation segment, for the general industrial division of Sherwin Williams, introduced a video outlining the company’s innovation and sustainability activities. The bottom line: innovation comes from not settling for “good enough,” and “you only get better by having better standards.” Among the marketing materials available at the TTMA convention, Sherwin-Williams touted its Powdura OneCure primer and topcoat powder system and the Duraspar IP 2K polyurethane solventborne topcoat system.
Visit industrial.sherwin-williams.com for more information.
Hendrickson
Adrey Schley, director of axles, brakes, and wheel ends, introduced a video highlighting the benefits of the HXL7 wheel-end package, an outboard mounted rotor designed to improve the maintenance and serviceability of air disc brakes. Traditional air disc brakes rotors are mounted inboard of the hub, meaning the wheel end had to be removed and reassembled for rotor and tone ring maintenance, both time consuming and potentially challenging for a technician unfamiliar with the assembly. The unique HLX7 outboard design provides clearance for rotor removal without disturbing the hub, making rotor maintenance more efficient and convenient. This ease of maintenance adds up to significant savings in shop costs and downtime over the trailer’s lifecycle. Additionally, Hendrickson’s rotor features a patented, corrosion-resistant tone ring with a unique threaded design and solid steel construction to prevent premature failure.
Visit www.hendrickson-intl.com.
Con-Met
Keith Rhodes, noting that Con-Met “continues to disrupt the market with innovation,” presented a video highlighting the company’s growth over its 60 years, working with global truck and trailer OEMs to make vehicles lighter, safer, and more efficient. The company, with 17 locations and 6,000 employees worldwide, offers superior design, engineering, and testing expertise to develop premium products and innovations. Among its products, in 1995 Con-Met introduces the proprietary PreSet hub assembly to help eliminate premature wheel end failure on trucks and trailers. The next generation PreSet Plus, boasting ease of installation, high performance, and low maintenance, has clocked 22 trillion miles from the 37 million hubs on the road since 2011.
Visit conmet.com.
Jaeger-UniTek
Jaeger-UniTek Sealing Solutions President Kevin Casey highlighted the company’s sealing technologies that are utilized in various industries with extruded products, rubber, and thermoplastic elastomers. He noted that the industry has changed in terms of sealing, with an expectation to limit noise penetration as well as water penetration—and “the molecular structure is very different.” For commercial vehicles, Jaeger-Unitek provides extruded rubber and plastic solutions for the range of sealing needs for both tractor and trailer.
Visit jaeger-unitek.com.
Ridewell
The Ridewell Suspensions touted the company’s knowledge of the trailer market and the needs of the various trailer platforms. The couple also emphasized its ongoing investments, especially in times of surging demand, to “fend off labor and supply issues” and serve customers. “We believe that suspension suppliers shouldn’t dictate how many trailers you can build by delivering the quality parts you need when you need them.”
Visit www.ridewellcorp.com.
United Scrap
Kayla Sandford and Audra Butler explained that United Scrap Metal is a nationally certified woman-owned business, soon to have 10 full-service recycling facilities located primarily in the eastern half of the U.S. The company’s video presentation featured CEO Marsha Serlin who explained that the company got its start in 1978 with $200 and a rental truck—but the unrealized opportunities were plentiful. In a business with many fly-by-night operators, United Scrap today boasts revenue of a half-billion dollars and employs about 550 people. Characterized as “a partner in sustainability,” the company works with customers to help them achieve their ESG goals, sharing the same commitment to corporate social responsibility.
Visit unitedscrap.com.
[*Editor’s Note: Just before press time, Hendrickson announced the acquisition of the Reyco Granning suspension business. Look for additional information on the TBB website.]
