Wabash, ArvinMeritor announce $120 million order with U.S. Xpress

July 22, 2003
Wabash National Corp. and ArvinMeritor Inc. today announced confirmation of a three-year order agreement for over 7,000 Wabash National DuraPlate branded
Wabash National Corp. and ArvinMeritor Inc. today announced confirmation of a three-year order agreement for over 7,000 Wabash National DuraPlate branded trailers with U.S.Xpress Enterprises Inc., the nation's fifth-largest publicly-owned truckload carrier. The new trailers, featuring Wabash National's flagship product, will be equipped with ArvinMeritor's RideStar(TM) Highway Parallelogram (RHP) air suspension system, Meritor TL trailer axles with long-life cartridge bearing hub assemblies, Q Plus brakes with MA212 brake linings, SteelLite X30(TM) brake drums, and Meritor automatic slack adjusters. The complete undercarriage system will be fully assembled at ArvinMeritor's facility in Frankfort, Ky., and shipped to Wabash National's main manufacturing plant in Lafayette, Ind.According to officials at Wabash National, the value of the order is in excess of $120 million. It marks the second time in less than three months that a major carrier has placed an order of this magnitude with the Lafayette, Ind.-based trailer manufacturer. "The opportunity to energize our fleet with new equipment from Wabash National and ArvinMeritor underscores the uncompromising commitment we have to our customers to deliver the freight -- entrusted to us -- safely and on time," said Max Fuller, co-chairman and vice president/secretary, U.S.Xpress Enterprises Inc. The trailers will also be equipped with GeoLogic, a new asset monitoring and tracking system provided by Aether Systems Inc. (AETH) , in conjunction with Transcommunications Inc. GeoLogic will allow U.S.Xpress to monitor thousands of its trailers in the field simply and easily by utilizing a proprietary reporting system. The low-cost asset management and tracking solution incorporates the use of "geo-fences" and pre-determined events such as arrivals, departures, entry into the trailer, and disconnection from the truck to help provide a secure solution for load planning. "This renewed relationship is a landmark customer indication that ArvinMeritor is achieving our goal of moving to full trailer systems integration," said Tom Gosnell, president, Commercial Vehicle Systems, ArvinMeritor. "Plus, the agreement proves that U.S.Xpress and Wabash National recognizes the value of our ongoing technology, our low-maintenance products and our full-service DriveTrain Plus support capabilities." "We're grateful for the opportunity to continue our relationship with U.S.Xpress Enterprises and we appreciate the value ArvinMeritor's products and services add to this order," said Wabash National CEO Bill Greubel.