UTILITY Trailers Upcoming Auctions

About Utility Trailer

Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. got its start in 1914 when brothers E.W. and H.C. Bennett sold their lumber company in Phoenix and moved to Los Angeles, where they bought a company that built wagons and trailers and named it Los Angeles Trailer Co. At the time, loads were mostly transported by either wagons or trailers made from secondhand parts. The Bennetts wanted to streamline trailer manufacturing and offer their customers a pre-made option. Today, Utility claims to be the oldest privately held trailer manufacturer in the United States, and the nation’s first to design and build trailers entirely from new materials.

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Utility Trailer 40000-X Composite Dry Van Semi-Trailer

Continual Innovation

The Bennett brothers set out to create a simple design with standardized production methods that would allow them to produce large quantities and make them more affordable for customers than building their own. Their first product was a single-axle trailer capable of hauling 60 bales of cotton. Utility made continual improvements to their design, adding the first mechanical brake on a trailer in 1914, and becoming the first to build trailers with air-actuated metal-to-metal brakes in 1919. Utility was also among the first to use the duralumin alloy and, according to the company, pioneered the use of polyurethane insulation in refrigerated vans.

Meeting Needs Decade After Decade

During World War I, Utility built 100 cable-reel trailers for the U.S. government that enabled one man to load and move a large spool of heavy wire. In the mid-1920s, the company began including pneumatic tires as original equipment on commercial trailers and added a roller fifth wheel to eliminate whipping at higher speeds. During the 1920s and 1930s, the highway system boomed and led to an increase in goods distributed by trucks, which began to rival railroads as the preeminent method of overland shipping. In 1936, Utility invented the first shockless, air-operated pintle hook to solve the issue of trailer sway. Utility purchased a steel foundry in 1935, which enabled the company to produce its own steel castings and sell them to other companies, including castings for tanks during World War II. The company also produced ammunition trailers for the war effort.

More innovations came throughout the 1940s, including integral frame bodies, fully automatic support legs, six-wheel attachments, and the power-automatic semi-trailer. The following decade saw the construction of the interstate system and increases in truck transport. Utility introduced polyurethane insulation in refrigerated vans, monocoque aluminum van design, and improved sliding reefer doors with better seals and tracking.

Revolutionizing The Trailer Market

The 1960s saw the introduction of the converter dolly to pull trailers in tandem with a trans-spring counterbalance design and in the 1970s, the company introduced its patented Barrier Door and completely eliminated foam-piercing hardware in its reefers. The Tautliner, a dual-function curtainside trailer that could convert from van to flatbed was introduced in the 1980s.

More models and updated features such as roll stability and the adjustable load securement system came in the ensuing decades, along with a centennial celebration in 2014. Today, Utility offers standard models for dry vans, reefers, flatbeds, and drop-deck trailers as well as its versatile Tautliner convertible trailer. The company also offers custom-build trailers to meet any customer needs not covered in their regular lineup.

Find The Right Utility Trailer

You’ll find a large selection of new and used Utility semi-trailers, including reefers, dry vans, and flatbeds, for sale at TruckPaper.com. You can also search for trailers by size; common dimensions include 53 feet by 102 inches and 48 ft by 102 in.