CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., August 25, 2011 – Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, the industry’s largest manufacturer of refrigerated trailers and a leading manufacturer of dry freight vans, flatbeds, and Tautliner® curtainsided trailers is pleased to introduce the USS-120A, Utility’s next generation advanced aerodynamic side skirt.
The USS-120A is U.S. EPA SmartWay® verified as an “Advanced Side Skirt” providing a minimum of 5% fuel savings, and can be used with low rolling resistance tires on dry vans to achieve CARB (California Air Resources Board) compliance for California operations.* “We have engineered the USS-120A to be the next generation in aerodynamic devices,” said Craig Bennett, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing at Utility. “After extensive structural testing, Utility has engineered an even more durable and lighter side skirt than our previous designs.”
Similar to the previous two side skirt designs: Utility Side Skirt 120 (USS-120) and Utility Side Skirt 160 (USS-160), the new USS-120A is also created with patent pending galvanized high tensile steel braces that allow the side skirt to flex both inward and outward. The USS-120A side skirt includes an F.R.P. cover over Utility’s unique 5-hole pattern design wingplate. The covered wingplate holes effectively increase the length of the side skirt by up to 2-feet, which ultimately increases aerodynamic efficiency. Additionally, the forward edge of the skirt at the support leg assembly is connected by a “slip joint” for reduced impact damage.
“Utility is committed to utilizing the most advanced technologies to manufacture products that far exceed today’s industry standards,” said Bennett. “The new USS-120A is a direct result of our extensive research and testing to improve upon our previous side skirt designs.” The 100% recyclable USS-120A side skirt is made of a UV protected bi-directional fiberglass reinforced thermoplastic material for maximum durability against the most extreme outdoor exposure. The material has over 10 years of accelerated UV testing and offers superior stiffness over non-reinforced materials, but maintains flexibility of the side skirt for reducing wind or rough impacts. Unlike non-reinforced or aluminum materials, the material used in Utility’s new side skirt has the ability to expand and contract to provide preventative measures against warping and cold forming that is typically a result due to temperature fluctuation or weather conditions.
The new USS-120A will be featured at Utility’s press conference during the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) located at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas on August 25th at 2:45pm CST in the Press Conference Room #D-221. For a look at the new USS-120A, visit Utility’s booth #20145 Hall F during GATS. The USS-120A is now available as a factory installed option for new Utility trailers. Retrofitting for existing trailers is available through Utility’s Aftermarket Department. To find out more about Utility’s new USS-120A, contact a local dealer. To locate the nearest authorized Utility dealership, visit: www.utilitytrailer.com/dealer-locator.
*This release is not intended to provide legal advice or legal opinion as to the applicability of the California regulation to any particular end use. For correct methods of compliance and details, visit the CARB website: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/hdghg/hdghg.htm
About Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company
Utility Trailer Manufacturing is America’s oldest privately owned, family-operated trailer manufacturer. Founded in 1914, the company designs and manufactures dry freight vans, flatbeds, refrigerated vans, Tautliner® curtainsided trailers, and side skirts. Utility currently operates five trailer manufacturing facilities across the United States. Utility’s 3000R® and the 3000R® multi-temp refrigerated trailers are manufactured at the Marion, Virginia and Clearfield, Utah plants. The 4000D® and 4000D-X Composite™ dry vans are manufactured at the Glade Spring, Virginia and Paragould, Arkansas plants. The 4000A®, 4000S®, drop deck and double flatbeds as well as the Tautliner® are all manufactured at the Enterprise, Alabama facility. Utility also has an extensive independent dealer network with over 100 locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America.