Vanguard National receives trailer patent

Nov. 23, 2005
Mark Roush, director of engineering at Vanguard National Trailer Corporation in Monon, Indiana, has been awarded a United States patent for his design of an over-the-road trailer.

Mark Roush, director of engineering at Vanguard National Trailer Corporation in Monon, Indiana, has been awarded a United States patent for his design of an over-the-road trailer.

The design uses specially engineered structural sidewall posts that provide increased rigidity for the trailer while minimizing the thickness of the trailer sidewalls and maximizing the cubic capacity of the trailer. The posts also eliminate snag points on the interior of the trailer, allowing for easier loading and unloading of cargo while minimizing damage to the sidewalls.

This design also allows for interior plastic or composite panels to be easily removed and replaced if necessary. This eliminates the need for plywood lining.

The patented design is used in Vanguard National’s VIP MaxCube and VIP 4000 plastic-lined trailers. Introduced in January 2005, the VIP MaxCubeTM trailer has already sold over 1200 units with projections of over 3000 units for 2006.