Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS, AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS BY JACK ROBERTS Utility moves ahead Trailer maker nears century of family success A fter a successful CCJ Fall Symposium wrapped up last month in Scottsdale, Ariz., and all of my colleagues scuttled out of the southwestern desert racing for home, I found myself heading just a little farther west to City of Industry, Calif., for a state of the business/industry sit-down with the principals at Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. Much like CCJ, which celebrated a century covering the trucking industry in 2011, 98-year-old Utility is closing in on its own centennial celebration. The company founded by brothers H.C. and Walter Bennett in 1914 is poised to welcome its fourth generation of family members into the fold, making it the oldest privately-owned trailer company doing business in North America today. H.C. and Walter would be pleased to see how the company they founded continues to prosper all these years later ��� We want (customers) to start making money with that trailer on day one.��� ��� Craig Bennett, Utility senior vice president of sales and marketing 14 particularly in an economic climate CENTENNIAL NEARS: Family-owned Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. has as dif���cult as this one. Shortly been in business for 98 years. after my visit, Utility was slated to produce its 100,000th reefer WHAT DOWNTURN? The company trailer at its manufacturing facility recently invested $13 million in facilities, in Clear���eld, Utah ��� one of 200,000 technology and processes. total units produced there. Today, Craig DAY ONE: A Utility trailer can be spec���d Bennett, senior vice president of sales and by a customer and ready for work immarketing, proudly can claim that more mediately upon delivery. than half of all reefers in service today in North America bear the Utility name on ing new technologies that make their their sides. Bennett told me that even in customers��� lives easier. Everything from the current economic downturn, Utility telematics integration to intermodal and invested more than $13 million in facilisafety is on the table. One area where the ties, technology and processes. ���Our core idea is for our customers to be able to put company is making a de���nite push is the integration of aerodynamic features such their new trailer into service on the day as side skirts. After researching and testing they receive it,��� he said. aftermarket skirts, Utility engineers conBennett said that in order to ensure cluded that some of the products weren���t this mission, Utility provides a greater up to industry or customer standards. level of modi���cation and adaptation At the same time, the company���s in the manufacturing process. In the participation in the federal governmentcompany���s reefer production facilities, engineers from Carrier and Thermo King sponsored SuperTruck research program has given it unique insight into a trailer���s are onsite to troubleshoot any issues that arise during production, handle warranty ideal aerodynamic pro���le. Today, a Utility customer can spec side skirts and other issues or track down a Freon leak. aerodynamic re���nements during the orLikewise, Bennett explained, all Utility dering process and have the unit delivered production facilities provide a higherfrom the factory with those accessories than-normal array of post-production installed, Bennett says. options and modi���cation services, from It���s a testament to Utility���s efforts that the addition of liftgates to application of the company sold more units annually decals and markings. ���We don���t want our last year than ever. Bennett, trailers making three or four while declining to go into more stops after they leave the speci���cs, said Utility will unveil plant, adding costs and time to several cutting-edge new prodthe delivery process,��� he said. ucts this year, the culmination Many members of the Benof both its aggressive investnett family through the years ment strategy and SuperTruck have held engineering degrees, research efforts. and Craig is no exception. That heritage can be seen today in the proactive approach the JACK ROBERTS is Executive Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. company is taking in adaptE-mail jroberts@ccjmagazine.com or call (205) 248-1358. COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JANUARY 2013