Titan tips the scales from rails with new A-train tipper trailers
Titan Trailers Inc recently introduced a new version of its THINWALL aluminum tipper trailers. These units were custom-built to maximize payloads for waste hauling in the Rocky Mountain region and lead a transition from rail-based waste transportation to a more flexible system that ships by truck.
Mike Kloepfer, President of Titan Trailers, announced that more than 25 of the new Titan A-Train Tipper Trailers are already in service with MBI (Mr Bult’s Inc.) after a successful demonstration trial last year. The “Rocky Mountain Double” configuration takes advantage of permits available in several Rocky Mountain states that allow truckers to run A-trains totalling up to 110 feet in length with payloads of up 41.6 tons per truck. The new Titan train comes in at almost 95 feet long, and is capable of hauling 234 cubic yards (178 m3) of municipal solid waste on each trip. “MBI, North America’s premier private waste hauler, first approached us with this concept to help their customers switch from rail cars to tractor-trailers for transporting waste from regional transfer stations,” he explained. “Trucks would allow greater flexibility in routing and scheduling, but payloads had to be large enough to keep operating costs in line. A standard 53-foot trailer couldn’t compete with rail costs.” Titan’s Rocky Mountain Double design was also developed to accommodate existing facilities at the transfer stations. The tipping floors there were built to fill rail cars below grade through a 40-foot long chute. A typical 48-foot or 53-foot trailer would have to load in two steps, advancing a few feet for the tipping floor to finish filling it. With the new A-Train, each unit is sized to fill completely in one stop.
The construction of the Titan trailers also contributes to increased payloads. The patented THINWALL extruded aluminum sidewall panel reduces tare weight so the trailers can earn more on each run, and reduce fuel cost. “MBI had already seen how our THINWALL trailers perform in a more conventional tipper,” Kloepfer said, “and that experience gave them the confidence in Titan to deliver the kind of lifecycle and productivity they required from these new trailers. We worked together very closely on that aspect of the design to make sure they would be highly durable units under MBI’s operating conditions. It’s just a real privilege to work with MBI. They share with us their challenges and we are encouraged by them to bring all of our innovative thinking to the table."
Mike Kloepfer, President of Titan Trailers, announced that more than 25 of the new Titan A-Train Tipper Trailers are already in service with MBI (Mr Bult’s Inc.) after a successful demonstration trial last year. The “Rocky Mountain Double” configuration takes advantage of permits available in several Rocky Mountain states that allow truckers to run A-trains totalling up to 110 feet in length with payloads of up 41.6 tons per truck. The new Titan train comes in at almost 95 feet long, and is capable of hauling 234 cubic yards (178 m3) of municipal solid waste on each trip. “MBI, North America’s premier private waste hauler, first approached us with this concept to help their customers switch from rail cars to tractor-trailers for transporting waste from regional transfer stations,” he explained. “Trucks would allow greater flexibility in routing and scheduling, but payloads had to be large enough to keep operating costs in line. A standard 53-foot trailer couldn’t compete with rail costs.” Titan’s Rocky Mountain Double design was also developed to accommodate existing facilities at the transfer stations. The tipping floors there were built to fill rail cars below grade through a 40-foot long chute. A typical 48-foot or 53-foot trailer would have to load in two steps, advancing a few feet for the tipping floor to finish filling it. With the new A-Train, each unit is sized to fill completely in one stop.
The construction of the Titan trailers also contributes to increased payloads. The patented THINWALL extruded aluminum sidewall panel reduces tare weight so the trailers can earn more on each run, and reduce fuel cost. “MBI had already seen how our THINWALL trailers perform in a more conventional tipper,” Kloepfer said, “and that experience gave them the confidence in Titan to deliver the kind of lifecycle and productivity they required from these new trailers. We worked together very closely on that aspect of the design to make sure they would be highly durable units under MBI’s operating conditions. It’s just a real privilege to work with MBI. They share with us their challenges and we are encouraged by them to bring all of our innovative thinking to the table."