On Dec. 2, Jost International shipped its 400,000th fifth wheel manufactured at the company’s Greeneville, Tenn., facility. The cab actuated air release fifth wheel was installed on a Class 8 truck for Werner Enterprises.

Production of Jost fifth wheels began in the United States in 2000 at the site of the current 90,000-sq.-ft. Greeneville facility. Since that time, Jost’s domestic market share for fifth wheels has grown significantly with a corresponding increase in production and employment, according to the fifth wheel manufacturer. In November, the company broke ground for a 12,000-sq.-ft. addition to add loading docks and increase inventory space to accommodate the expanding industry requirements and expected future growth.

“We had a vision to increase Jost fifth wheel position in North America by dedicating resources to domestic manufacture,” said Lee Brace, president of Jost. “The new expansion will help us meet the on-time delivery requirements of our growing customer base.”

“The reason we have reached this 400,000th milestone is simply because North American fleets and truck manufacturers recognize the benefits of the Jost design and local manufacturing support,” said Rich Carroll, vice president sales and marketing. “We expect to gain increased penetration in the domestic market as our OEM positions have dramatically improved in recent years.”