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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
MARCH 2016
2
T
railers are one of the key links in any
transport and logistics chain. Being
one of our features this month, it
leads me to this equipment type that has
quietly evolved and has become a high-
lightly sophisticated addition to the towing
vehicle, matching it in technology and envi-
ronmental acceptability.
Demand for trailers is mainly driven by avail-
ability of capital and demographics. The profit-
ability of individual manufacturing companies
depends on the uniqueness of the product,
design and effective marketing. Large com-
panies have the advantage in brand recogni-
tion, but smaller companies can compete as
effectively by a unique product design and
providing service levels that can be individu-
ally tailored.
Although larger companies may have more
than one production facility, the majority of
manufacturers have a single facility that has
their metal fabrication, welding, CMC ma-
chines, bending brakes and painting facilities
all under one roof. This sometimes makes for
better control of the manufacturing process.
Some manufacturers hold patents for some
components and designs that produce better
results and give them the edge. Product inno-
vation technology development has been the
driving force in the trailer business, especially
in the electronic safety systems built into trail-
ers today. To differentiate their products, man-
ufacturers have added electronic features,
especially in the braking to provide operators
better control of their rigs.
Another innovation which has crept into trail-
er design is the aero-kits which, when fitted
to a trailer, help improve not only the stability
but in combination with the truck, allows an
improvement in the fuel consumption of the
rig. Aerodynamic technologies include gap
fairings that reduce turbulence between trac-
tor and trailer, side skirts that minimize wind
under the trailer and rear fairings that reduce
turbulence and pressure drop at the rear of
the trailer.
Using fairings in combination with one another
has a potential to provide an estimated 5%
fuel saving when used in conjunction with an
aerodynamic truck tractor.
The stringent laws that are coming into effect
regarding safety and environmental conformi-
ty, have also impacted on the trailer business
and combined with the current economic cli-
mate, have forced the manufacturers to intro-
duce some innovations to ensure their prod-
ucts remain high in the value chain.
Local trailer manufacturers have had to cope
with a many challenges in keeping their re-
spective businesses on a profitable path and
the influx of trailer components from the Far
East has in some ways impacted on the sales
volumes. The impact has also been felt by
the steel merchants whose supply chain has
been eroded as a result. One of the innova-
tions though, is the initiative of a steel supply
company to provide components to refurbish
existing trailers as a means of overcoming the
onslaught of cheaper products from the East
and maintaining a market for their steel.
The trailer industry is a vital cog in the trans-
port wheel and has been a stalwart in the ever
changing dynamics of the tough market in
which it operates. Changes to meet the chal-
lenges have meant providing the right solu-
tions at the right time in order to ensure the
survival of many a manufacturer.
Pierre Sanson, Editor
COMMENT
TRAILER MANUFACTURERS
innovate to keep ahead