Fontaine Trailer Company has officially launched a new business unit - Fontaine Renew - to help fleets cut costs by extending the useful life of container chassis, dropdeck trailers and flatbed trailers.
Fontaine Trailer is the largest platform trailer manufacturer in the world, producing a complete line of aluminum, steel and composite trailers for the flatbed, dropdeck and heavy-haul markets.
Fontaine Renew refurbishment services are performed in a Fontaine ISO 9901-certified factory environment, says Todd Anderson, vice president and general manager of Fontaine Renew. ISO 9901 is an international standard containing rigorous requirements for establishing and maintaining a company’s quality management system, and for processes driven to achieve maximum quality output.
At the plant, old, worn-out trailers are transformed to like-new condition by an 11-station, 152-step process. Candidates for the Fontaine Renew process include - but are not limited to - platform trailers, dropdeck trailers, military trailers and container chassis of any make or brand.
Every incoming trailer is disassembled and stripped to bare metal using a recyclable shot-blast system, he says, and then evaluated. Those trailers that qualify for refurbishment get military-grade, zinc-rich primer and paint that provide corrosion resistance that is superior to the original coating.
The primary (basic) service includes a new floor and new air and electrical components. Customers have the option to upgrade lighting, electrical, air and braking systems, structural components, shocks, rub rails and more. In addition, wheel-ends can be upgraded to the latest technology as well.
All renewed trailers come with warranty protection.
“Although this is a new concept for fleet customers, our military customers have been using Fontaine refurbishment services for about 10 years,” notes Anderson. Fontaine Renew has been doing commercial trailers for about 6 months now, at a rate of three trailers per day.
“It’s a great way to cut costs without cutting corners,” he says. “In fact, our customers get like-new performance, durability and product life, but at a fraction of the cost.”
Extending the life of trailers not helps lower operating costs by reducing downtime and maintenance costs, it prolongs the useful life of assets at a fraction of the cost of new equipment, Anderson adds. Plus, there is no Federal Excise Tax for the trailer refurbishment.
To find out more about Fontaine Renew’s trailer refurbishment service, visit www.fontainerenew.com or call 1-800-821-6535.
