All products were introduced at the Mid-America Trucking Show:

Lighter Flatbed
Utility Trailer Manufacturing introduced the 4000A flatbed trailer, which is 400 pounds lighter than the 2000A flatbed it replaces but offers equal beam strength with higher-strength steel.

The 4000A flatbed’s lower tare weight results from an aluminum/steel composite design. A newly configured 80,000-psi high-tensile steel hat-shaped main beam top flange is responsible for the greater strength.

“Our goal was to bring to market an optimized flatbed trailer that would provide the maximum return on investment for our customers,” says Jeff Bennett, Utility Trailer’s vice president of engineering. “We did this by eliminating 400 pounds of steel and aluminum on the base model flatbed, which not only reduced material costs but enabled the trailer to carry more payload.”
Utility Trailer Manufacturing
www.utilitytrailer.com

Gen-a-Sys Solutions Hybrid APU
Portland, Ore., small fleet owner and part operator Bruce Wingen designed Enertek Solutions’ new Gen-a-Sys Solutions hybrid auxiliary power unit, which debuted at MATS in the fifth-wheel-mounted daycab pictured. Wingen and company then toured the nation showing off the nickel metal hydride battery-powered daycab system and the hybrid sleeper system.

The 1987 Peterbilt 359 they toured in is part of Wingen’s 40-truck Chevelle Trucking fleet, and it was outfitted with an Espar fuel-fired heater, two Electro Energy NiMH batteries mounted in a box on the frame rail, a Coleman A/C unit and a 4-stroke, liquid-cooled twin cylinder genset that powers on and off as it senses auxiliary battery charges reaching low levels.

The full hybrid unit for sleeper trucks lists for $12,500, the daycab battery-only system for $7,500. The prices, higher than many comparable devices, are largely a function of the vanguard battery technology utilized, which is still much more expensive than the more typical AGM batteries utilized in many idling solutions today. But the makers say NiMH batteries run at 96 percent efficiency over their lifetime, thus they’ll gain and hold their charges better than other batteries as they get older.
Enertek Solutions
(203) 797-2699
www.enerteksolutions.com

Air-Weigh Entry-Level Scale
QuickLoad is a new, entry-level on-board scale from Air-Weigh, designed for dedicated tractor-trailer configurations and straight trucks.

Up to four axle groups, including steer, drive and trailer axles, can be monitored on the compact in-dash display. The scale automatically calculates GVW and net payload. Steer axle weight, drive axle weight, trailer axle weight, gross vehicle weight and payload weight are displayed in the cab.

QuickLoad features warning and overweight alarms, dual-point calibration and easy installation, the company says.

Several air and axle deflection sensor kits are available so that each scale can be tailored to a variety of configurations. The cost starts at $400 for some configurations.

By comparing empty and loaded axle group weights with empty and loaded suspension pressures, the scale can be calibrated to display accurate weights at any suspension load.

The PIN-protected digital electronic scale not only eliminates the cost of scale fees and overweight fines but helps haulers of staged loads determine where to set the slider, said Martin Ambros, president and CEO of Air-Weigh.
Air-Weigh
www.air-weigh.com

TrailerTail
An aerodynamic add-on to van trailers that features a collapsible, folding design can increase fuel efficiency by as much 5 percent in long-haul applications, according to ATDynamics.

Called the TrailerTail, the aerodynamic trailer extension reduces rear drag for improved fuel efficiency, up to a value of $5,000 annually, the company says, depending on the amount of miles driven and the application. The fuel savings estimates are based on independent SAE J1321 testing conducted by Robert Transportation at Energotest in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The TrailerTrail was mounted to the industry’s first certified SmartWay trailer, a Utility 4000D-X dry van.

“The least aerodynamic way to carry goods down the highway is in a large rectangular box,” says ATDynamics CEO Andrew Smith. “Forward-thinking fleet operators are now serious about improving the aerodynamics of their fleets. Starting with the TrailerTail and with other products now in the pipeline, our goal is to dramatically improve the sustainability of the global freight industry.”

TrailerTail is installed over the existing doors of the trailer. Smith said a trailer can be retrofitted with the device by two people in about two hours, and it is virtually maintenance-free.
ATDynamics
www.atdynamics.com

Phillips i-Box
Phillips Industries’ new i-Box trailer nosebox offers improved serviceability and reduced wiring complexity, the company says. The i-Box, now available for retrofit or OEM installation, will “handle the expanding electronic requirements of today’s trailer,” such as anti-lock brakes, trailer tracking, on-board weigh systems and lighting.

William Phillips, director of sales for Phillips, says the company developed the i-Box, short for Information Box, at the request of a major U.S. carrier frustrated by the small working space in standard trailer noseboxes and crammed wires that result in pinching and pull-out. The result is a trailer nosebox that is 35 percent larger than conventional styles and features other time- and money-saving improvements.

Additionally, Phillips says, the iBox houses the company’s Permalogic Trailer Dome Lamp Controller to automatically control van dome lamps and has room for flash memory to store things such as trailer schematics and bills of material.

The iBox can be retrofitted to trailers in 30 minutes or less, Phillips says, and installation schematics are available online. It is compatible with a wide range of trailer models, such as dry vans, refrigerated and doubles, and nearly all trailer makes.
Phillips Industries
www.phillipsind.com

Grote LED Lights
Grote Industries introduced a new series of technologically advanced LED-based lighting products for heavy-duty trucks.

Grote representatives said the company has taken major steps in automation production and has developed new product lines, including the Super Nova and the Single Diode lighting applications that can be installed in old and new vehicles.
Grote Industries
www.grote.com

Vanguard Pup Trailer, Converter Dolly
Vanguard National Trailer Corp. unveiled two new products – a converter dolly and 28-foot trailers.

“Vanguard is the only producer of converter dollies that galvanizes as a standard,” says Vanguard Director of Trailer Sales Bob Taylor. “And we’ve had significant interest in the 28-foot trailers because they include the same premium standard features and galvanized components as our 53-foot trailers.”

The triples-rated converter dolly features a frame galvanized via a one-piece hot-dipped process for maximum protection against corrosion and a fifth wheel with bolted construction for easy maintenance.

The 28-foot trailers feature galvanized components, a 100-inch interior width, optional racking to increase load capacity, and laminated oak flooring.

Vanguard also announced an optional “pultruded” composite floor that is lightweight and moisture resistant. Officials say this type flooring can reduce the weight of a 53-foot trailer by as much as 700 pounds.
Vanguard National Trailer Corp.
www.vanguardtrailer.com

Three Anti-Idling Heating Systems
Anti-idling technology manufacturer Espar Heater Systems introduced three new products: The Hybernator-On Frame, the Hybernator-In Frame and the Baire Necessary System.

“We’ve taken what our customers have asked us, and we’ve made changes to accommodate that,” says John Bishop, vice president of sales for Espar.

According to Bishop, some of the benefits of these innovative systems are idling reduction, fuel savings (of up to $35 per day), local and regional legislation compliance, and engine and component wear reduction.

The Hybernator-On Frame system uses the California Air Resources Board-approved Hydronic 5 heater to provide engine-off heat to the cab, the engine and the fuel system; circulates engine coolant; and allows quick starts in the coldest environments.

The Hybernator-In Frame system “is based on the On-Frame system, but enables the installation of the unit between the frame rails without drilling,” says Espar’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications John Dennehy.

Although the third system, the Baire Necessity, also provides engine-off heat to the cab, it does not require the permanent installation of Espar’s CARB-approved Airtronic D2 bunk heater. This window-mounted system can be conveniently transported in the truck or easily moved from one truck to another. Also, “freight terminals can supply them to drivers for temporary no-idle relief,” says Dennehy.

Espar’s heater systems require 12- or 24-volt battery systems and gasoline or diesel as an on-board fuel.
Espar Heater Systems
www.espar.com

Green Lubrication Solutions
The newly formed Green Lubrication Solutions is the exclusive western U.S. distributor of a line of green lubrication and engine enhancement products, MotorSilk and LubriSilk.

The products offered by Green Lubrication Solutions treat vehicles, equipment and related machinery with a patented lubrication technology invented by the U.S. Department of Energy, which significantly increases energy efficiency in engines, reduces emissions, saves gas and lubrication oil use, and can be used by businesses to obtain carbon credits, the company says. The products are fully biodegradable and non-toxic.

The product bonds to engine metal surfaces to decrease friction, increasing power and gas mileage, as well as reducing wear resulting in long-term maintenance cost savings, the company says.
Green Lubrication Solutions
www.greenls.com

Dissolvable Tobacco
Star Scientific launched its Stonewall dissolvable smokeless tobacco pieces in all TravelCenters of America truckstops and Petro Stopping Centers in May.

Stonewall is available in Wintergreen, Natural or Java blend flavors. It dissolves in the mouth, leaves no residue and requires no spitting, and the tobacco in Stonewall has the lowest levels of the major toxins found in any tobacco product, the company says.

A box of Stonewall, which contains 20 pieces, retails for roughly 30 percent less than a can of premium snuff or a pack of premium cigarettes.
Star Scientific
www.starscientific.com