Three transport companies join forces for tailored trailer

Freightliner Northwest, Landstar and the XL Specialized engineering team joined forces to create a custom XL House Hauler Step Deck Extendable.

A trailer is an essential piece of equipment for construction companies, transportation firms and many other industries that require the movement of heavy objects. But when it comes to trailers, one size does not always fit all. The customization options available for many types of trailers make them indispensable assets for businesses that need to transport heavy loads safely and efficiently.

For instance, a customer of Pacific, WA-based Freightliner Northwest wanted a better solution for hauling manufactured housing units. A specialist in transporting these homes, the customer’s need for a new trailer design came from seeing its housing units consistently getting module damage during delivery.

“My customer and I looked at the trailers and decided what support we needed to make them work,” said Brian Vinton, Freightliner Northwest sales representative. “What we discovered, however, was that they needed a durable trailer to be designed from the ground up.”

A customized trailer solution for hauling manufactured houses involved the redesign of the XL Specialized House Hauler Step Deck Extendable model.

That’s where XL Specialized Trailers, a manufacturer of heavy haul and specialized trailers, came in. With “specialized” in their name, XL is known for working with customers and their dealers to get the exact specs needed, the company said.

A better mousetrap

Throughout the design process, Vinton worked closely with the customer’s broker Chad Crosby at Landstar, XL’s regional sales manager Shannon Richardson and its engineering team to create the perfect custom XL House Hauler Step Deck Extendable (SDE).

Popular in the agricultural, industrial and oil and gas industries, SDEs are versatile units known for hauling taller freight while avoiding extra permit costs. The group started with an SDE trailer before going to work with a complete redesign to ensure the safe and secure delivery of the houses. The customized SDE offered a capacity rating of 70,000 pounds and is 9 feet wide and 53 feet long.

From the outset, it was a team effort between Freightliner Northwest, Landstar and the XL Specialized engineering team. Vinton worked with XL engineers in Zoom meetings, and he visited the plant in Manchester, IA three times to ensure everything was in alignment. Since the original meeting, Vinton’s customer Landstar now has eight custom XL House Hauler SDEs on the road, with more on order.

“It’s invaluable to be able to sit down and actually design what the customer wants,” said Vinton. “And, XL Specialized, from top to bottom, has been extremely helpful and involved. The relationship aspect of this is invaluable.”

Customization allows customers to design a trailer that accommodates their individual needs, such as cargo volume, weight capacity, loading and unloading requirements and transportation methods.