Wabash

Wabash National built more than 27,000 van trailers and reefers in 2002, or 4,500 fewer than in 2001. This is down 14% from 2001, which was down 52% from the record year of 2000. The 27,149 total complete trailers includes 24,157 dry vans and 2,992 reefers. However, Wabash built five times as many intermodal units in 2002. If half the intermodal units (figuring one container and one chassis equals one complete trailer) are added to the production of complete trailers, then Wabash built almost as many trailers in 2002 as in 2001. "We're cautiously optimistic 2003 will prove to be a good year for Wabash as well as the industry as a whole," said Bill Gruebel, chief executive officer of Wabash National. "Our business will improve as we place more focus on our branch operations to better serve our customers. At the same time, the issues related to used trailer inventories are behind us. "We expect that the trend we have seen in the industry moving to innovative new products, such as our DuraPlate trailer, will continue at a strong pace. In 2003, we will continue to sharpen our focus on delivering products that cater to the needs of the smaller to midsize fleets," said Gruebel. This company profile is part of the 2002 North American Trailer Output Survey. Please click here to view the complete article.