XTRA Lease has ordered approximately 5,000 new trailers for 2014, most of which will be built with corrosion-fighting galvanized steel components. The company is adding a mix of dry vans, liftgated vans and reefers equipped with new fuel-saving Thermo King Precedent reefer units. For the first time, XTRA Lease will offer dry vans built with galvanized rear door frames, rear bumpers, and landing gear bracing and wing plates. Some units also will receive galvanized landing gear legs. These improvements will provide greater durability and resistance to corrosion that often plagues trailer components in harsh road and winter conditions, the company stated. As with recent XTRA Lease purchases, all 53′ trailers will receive fuel-saving aerodynamic side skirts, low-rolling resistance tires and trailer tracking units to help fleets attack utilization and costs.
“Spec’ing for fuel savings and corrosion protection are two of the biggest equipment challenges facing fleets today,” said Bill Franz, XTRA Lease president and chief executive officer. “We won’t stop at investing in new trailers for our customers and in providing them solid fleet resources that help them fight operating costs and maintenance issues.”
XTRA Lease has invested heavily in new trailer orders in recent years, adding more than 35,000 new trailers since 2010. The provider is believed to have the largest fleet of skirted trailers in the U.S. at more than 25,000 trailers.
XTRA Lease’s 2014 purchase includes a mix of:
- 53- and 48-ft. dry vans;
- 53-ft. reefers;
- 53-, 48- and 28-ft. liftgated vans;
- 48-ft. pintle hook vans.
New reefers feature Thermo King’s Precedent S-600 unit, which provides 8-10% more fuel efficiency than older models, including:
- Faster cooling pull-down;
- More efficient temperature control; and
- Evergreen compliance with the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) requirements.
