Manufacturers Pursue Automated Slider Designs

liding trailer suspensions — desired by many in the truckload industry as a standard feature on dry vans — have proved to be a mixed blessing, offering operating flexibility for drivers, but putting them at some risk of injury, said some fleet managers and product makers.

However, manufacturers also said they were working on several new approaches to trailer suspensions that would allow drivers to move axles along the length of trailers so as to comply with state weight regulations and loading-safety procedures without en-dangering their own bones and muscles.

Although being able to move the array of axles underneath a trailer provides a great deal of operational flexibility, the potential for injury from sliding the axles in rain or snow has caused problems. Some fleets said they have seen a rise in workers’ compensation claims related to adjusting sliders and other equipment.