FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Craig Bennett
Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company
(626) 854-7220
cbennett@utm.com
Bendix and Utility work Together to Advance
Active Safety Technologies on Trailers
Growing Portfolio of Bendix® brand components becoming standard on Utility models
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., March 26, 2008 -¬ Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, a leading manufacturer of dry freight vans, reefers, flatbeds, and Tautliner® curtainsided trailers, is pleased to a new, multi-year relationship with Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC..
The agreement with Utility Trailer, the third-largest trailer manufacturer and the nation’s largest producer of refrigerated vans, further solidifies the growing Bendix position as a supplier to the trailer industry. It also establishes that Bendix products will be available through Utility’s aftermarket parts and extensive dealer network, enabling the two companies to offer and support high-quality, top-performing air brake system solutions.
Integrated Drum Brake Solutions
Effective April 2008, Bendix® SB-4™ combination spring brakes will be standard position on all Utility Trailer models. The Bendix® SB-4 combination spring brake – featuring a patent pending center seal – contains a guided spring-pressure plate that significantly reduces diaphragm and seal wear. Flexible, self-alignment of the center seal during installation, along with lubricant retention during operation, combine to offer extended spring brake service life.
Already proven, and standard on all Utility models, is the Bendix® ASA-5® automatic slack adjuster. The ASA-5 slack adjuster exceeds the Society of Automotive Engineers’ 200,000-cycle durability test standard, assuring long service life. Its seals and lubricants are proven to resist external moisture and contaminants that can cause premature wear.
Both the Bendix® SB-4™ combination spring brake and Bendix® ASA-5® slack adjuster are provided by Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC, a joint venture between Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products, LLC.
Available Second Half of 2008
Beginning July 2008, Utility Trailer will offer as standard position on base model dual axle reefers and dry vans, the Bendix® SR-5® spring brake relay valve, in combination with the Bendix® TABS-6 antilock braking system . The SR-5 valve provides premium performance under extreme conditions. The valve’s design offers the fastest spring brake release and is widely recognized as the leading spring brake valve available in the market today.
The Bendix® TABS-6 ABS for trailers was chosen to allow Utility Trailer an easy upgrade into the next-generation trailer stability system, Bendix® TABS-6 Advanced. Both are built on a reliable single-channel, 2S/1M configuration – the most popular ABS design for today’s trailer manufacturers and buyers.
Utility will also offer the Bendix® ADB22X™ air disc brake, as a databook option. This lightweight air disc brake package reduces total wheel-end weight while providing fast and easy pad replacement, reduced maintenance, and longer brake life.
Working Together to Advance Technology
Utility’s introduction to Bendix began while operating a manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom.
“We came to recognize Knorr-Bremse, the European affiliate of Bendix, as a global leader in the heavy duty industry,” said Craig Bennett, senior vice president for sales and marketing, Utility Trailer. “We recognize those same qualities in Bendix through its development of North American trailer products, many of those products offer great synergies to our customer base running Bendix equipped trucks.”
“Our relationship with Utility Trailer demonstrates our permanent commitment to the trailer market,” said Joe McAleese, Bendix president & CEO. “We’ve made an extensive investment in the manufacturing and testing of our trailer technology that will enable us to stay aligned with our long-term objective of becoming a provider of superior solutions for the trailer market. Our customers demand the best solutions and we are providing them.”
Bendix offers a complete portfolio of trailer products and solutions, all designed for maximum performance and reliability. Bendix strives to create long-term partnerships within the trailer market by going beyond simply offering braking components for trailer applications, but instead delivering a complete, integrated system and excellent customer service.
About Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, air brake charging, and control systems and components under the Bendix® brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 2,000 people, we are driven to deliver solutions for improved vehicle performance, safety and overall operating cost. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with manufacturing plants in Acuña, Mexico; Bowling Green, Ky.; and Huntington, Ind. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725) or visit www.bendix.com.
About Utility
Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company is America’s oldest privately owned and operated trailer manufacturer. It was founded in 1914 by brothers E.W. and H.C. Bennett and is still family-owned to this day. Utility Trailer is the largest producer of refrigerated vans and the third-largest trailer manufacturer in the United States.
The company designs and manufactures from five fully-operational trailer facilities across the United States products such as dry freight vans, flatbeds, refrigerated vans and curtain-sided Tautliner® trailers. The company features an extensive dealer network with more than 100 independently-owned locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America.