What led you to create this “technology trailer”?

Carl Tapp, director of maintenance, P.A.M. Transport: “Mostly, it was problems resulting from the severe service our equipment experiences. A very large part of our business consists of hauling automotive parts.

“Because of the routes and lanes we run, it’s not unusual for a trailer to leave here and not be seen again for months, except for safety inspections and maintenance.

“During that time, lots can happen. So, we’re constantly looking for equipment that has a longer lifespan, requires less maintenance – or at least, can tolerate longer maintenance intervals – ways for the equipment to maintain itself.”

What kind of severe service does P.A.M.’s equipment experience?

“Besides long intervals between visits to the shop, which is a kind of severe service in itself, our trailers get pretty hard treatment in use. “In the automotive industry today, they try never to use any kind of non-reusable packaging. Many of the parts we carry are packed in steel racks that are designed to be reused over and over again.

“They’re also designed to be stacked for efficient storage. At the top, they’ve got point-like structures, and at the bottom, cup-like ‘feet.’ These are meant to mate with each other, when the units are stacked.

“When these racks are loaded, it’s not unusual for those points to scrape the roof of the trailer. And, these racks are also a very tight fit in the trailer.”

Are the trailers specially designed to handle that?

“We’re using the maximum trailer width we can, but in addition to the roofs, the walls also get damaged very quickly. “And, of course, the floors take a beating too.”

What are you doing to combat that kind of damage?

“In our technology trailer, we’re trying out a material for the walls and ceiling that literally is bullet-proof. It’s also easy to replace, so we can renew it when it gets too torn up. “And, for the floors, we’re using a new material that’s thinner, lighter and stronger than conventional floors. It’s also coated with fiberglass to keep water out.”

The material lining P.A.M.’s technology trailer is actually bullet-proof. Flooring is waterproof.

How is the trailer different outside?

“Let’s start with lighting: We’ve spec’d LED lighting for the entire trailer. “That makes a huge difference in maintenance. Provided LED lights aren’t damaged – or stolen, and believe it or not, a lot of LED lighting gets stolen – they should outlast the trailer. And so long as the wiring is kept sealed, it should never fail or need replacement. “Plus, LED lighting is brighter and safer.”

How does that work? “LED lights are either on or off. There’s no in-between. So, when the driver hits the brakes, it gives the people behind a little more warning. “LEDs are also very bright, much more so than incandescents. You can see them farther, especially in rain and fog, and that adds safety too. “Not only that, LED lighting draws less current, so it puts less strain on the electrical system. With ABS and all the other demands on a trailer’s electrical supply, that’s important too.” And what have you done to prevent your LEDs from being stolen? “They’re fastened to the chassis with special, tamper-proof locking rings and stainless steel rivets. You’d pretty much have to destroy the lights in order to steal them.”

How does that work?

“LED lights are either on or off. There’s no in-between. So, when the driver hits the brakes, it gives the people behind a little more warning. “LEDs are also very bright, much more so than incandescents. You can see them farther, especially in rain and fog, and that adds safety too. “Not only that, LED lighting draws less current, so it puts less strain on the electrical system. With ABS and all the other demands on a trailer’s electrical supply, that’s important too.”

And what have you done to prevent your LEDs from being stolen? “They’re fastened to the chassis with special, tamper-proof locking rings and stainless steel rivets. You’d pretty much have to destroy the lights in order to steal them.” Aren’t LEDs much more expensive? “Probably about ten times the cost of incandescent lamps, but there’s a lifetime guarantee on the lamps and wiring harnesses, and no need to replace bulbs. “Lots of times, conventional lamps fail because of vibration. LEDs can take all that vibration and never have to be replaced, unless they get damaged in an accident, so the downtime and costs of replacing regular lamps eat up those initial savings with incandescents.” LED lighting is standard on P.A.M.’s technology trailer.

What else have you built into this technology trailer?

“One of the most important things is an automatic tire inflation pressure maintenance system. It uses brake system air, feeding it through hollow axles to each individual tire.

“Tires are kept at the right inflation pressure all the time, and there’s no need for drivers to check the air. If the trailer has been parked for a while, and the tires have lost some air, the system kicks in and inflates every tire to the right pressure within the first mile of travel, then keeps them that way.”

What if there’s a really large leak?

“If the leak is too large for the system to handle, or if there’s a sudden large puncture, the inflation system continues to supply air to the affected tire (a pressure protection valve allows the inflation system to work only when the brakes have sufficient pressure to operate). “Simultaneously, a nose-mounted warning light comes on to signal the driver. This light is very visible in the rear view mirror, so a tire problem won’t go unnoticed for long.”

Tim Wilson with some of the components of their technology trailer's automatic tire inflation system

How well does automatic inflation work?

“We’ve found it works very well. We’ve tested some trailers with and without it, and we’ve found that tire life can go up by as much as 40 percent.” That’s a huge increase!

Have you put auto-inflation on other trailers?

“We took delivery of this technology trailer early in 2001. Later in the year, we needed to order 200 trailers, and we had every one of them fitted with this system.

“It eliminates hassles and downtime for drivers, keeps the inflation right where it needs to be, all the time, and is increasing our tire life dramatically. We’re sold on it. “It adds cost to the trailer when you buy it, but it pays for itself over the life of the trailer.”

How long is that?

“We hope, especially with all these long life, reduced maintenance and extended maintenance features, that we’ll be able to keep a trailer on the road for 8 to 10 years.”

What are some of your objectives on tires?

“Obviously, we’d like tires to run longer and longer. And resist damage. That’s why we’ve been using Bridgestone R194F radials on our trailers.

“The R194F has sidewall protector ribs that can extend the life of tires that get scrubbed against curbs. Since curb scrubbing is pretty much unavoidable in our work, that helps extend tire life.”

How about on tractors? “We’re using Bridgestone there too. We’re running the R227 on steers and the M726 on drives. “We retread, but only our own casings, and may do that two or three times.” What about tire fuel economy? “I don’t much believe in tire fuel economy claims. Frankly, I can see miles. That is, I can look at the odometer and determine how many miles a tire has gone. “But I can’t really see fuel. There are too many variables, so you’re never really sure whether you saved any fuel or not. “Besides, with all the fuel-saving gimmicks that have been touted over the years, if you put them all on a truck, you ought to be pulling a tanker behind you, to pick up all that fuel you’re supposed to be saving. “Nobody’s doing that, and I figure it’s because those things don’t work the way they say they do.”

Carl Tapp & P.A.M. Transport Value Education

Carl Tapp, P.A.M.’s director of maintenance and Tim Wilson, P.A.M.’s maintenance trainer.

Recently, Carl Tapp became one of just two dozen people in the entire United States to become a Certified Director of Maintenance and Equipment. This program, offered through the North American Transportation Management Institute of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), took a lot of his time, but Carl feels it was worth it. “I got solid support from my company and had the opportunity to learn many things that are helpful to me in our daily operations. I would encourage anyone in transportation management to get involved. ”And get involved he does. Carl was also elected to the ATA’s Technology Advisory Group, where he shares ideas with other truck fleets everywhere in the country, in every kind of trucking. In April, the student turns teacher as Carl is slated to be a featured speaker at the annual Bridgestone commercial dealer meeting. Finally, Carl Tapp and P.A.M. Transport believe in the value of education at every level. “We have our own full-time maintenance trainer, Tim Wilson, who travels constantly to our various facilities, educating our people on proper procedures. Education is the only way to achieve consistent excellence in the maintenance field,” concluded Carl.