Fontaine Trailer introduced at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., an aluminum flatbed trailer that it says weighs less than 7,800 pounds and handles 60,000 pounds in just 4 feet. The Revolution features a sleek, aerodynamic shape designed to cut through the air with a premium drag coefficient; and friction-stir welding adds to the strength of the floor while reducing weight to allow for bigger payloads and more miles per gallon, Fontaine says.
The one-piece extruded aluminum siderail is built to withstand impact damage better than conventional designs, while an integrated load securement system is designed to make loading and unloading faster, better and much easier. A patent-pending main beam is made from extruded aluminum to eliminate welding between the web and the 12-foot flange, which is integral to the main beam and virtually eliminates flexing – even when the trailer is cornering under a full load, according to the company.
Fontaine also is introducing the Infinity TX Twist Lock, which it describes as two trailers in one: an advanced-technology dropdeck trailer to handle a wide variety of loads, and a twist-lock trailer to haul intermodal shipping containers. The trailer is equipped with two twist locks at the front, four in the middle and two at the rear, so users can haul two 20-foot ISO containers or one 40-foot container, the company says.
Fontaine says its composite technology gives the versatile trailer the ideal balance of strength, weight and durability. The steel main beams – constructed using grade 130 flanges welded continuously on both sides for maximum structural integrity – are covered by the XtreamBeam lifetime warranty. Steel crossmembers are positioned every 12 inches on the 41-foot rear deck to facilitate greater strength and durability. The front and rear skirt, siderails and floor are made of aluminum for added corrosion resistance and lighter weight.
