Jun 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Vanguard National Trailer Corporation has introduced a lighter weight floor, new triples-rated converter dolly, and 28-foot trailers all engineered for longer duty cycles.

The converter dolly, which has galvanized metal components to reduce corrosion and minimize maintenance, features a single-piece I-beam frame rather than a C channel. The I-beam runs from the drawbar eye to the rear to eliminate frame flex and provide additional strength.

The new 28-foot trailers, available in sheet and post or composite sidewalls, come with 1⅜-inch laminated oak flooring, have a 100-inch interior width, and are 110 inches tall.

The sidewalls, like all of Vanguard's trailers, are fastened with a superior adhesive instead of rivets. This manufacturing process is said to provide additional sidewall strength while eliminating potential rust and corrosion points.

Available as an option is a new “pultruded” composite floor. Lighter in weight, it is also more moisture resistant than wooden floors for an extended life cycle and provides greater traction.

This type of flooring could take up to 700 pounds of weight off of a 53-foot trailer without negatively impacting trailer integrity, said a company official.

Vanguard is developing an electronic nosebox for its trailers to store trailer maintenance and service information, with additional memory for fleets to input their own data. Downloadable via a USB port, this will allow instant access to trailer information.