Premier Manufacturing’s new Saf-T-Latch is built to prevent all-too-common highway trailer separations.
The Saf-T-Latch—part number 820ELA—is connected to a Premier air chamber. If a driver forgets to close the hitch manually, the coupling is designed to close when the emergency brake is released.
“This new product is intended to be a fail-safe in the event an operator forgets to close the latch on the hitch,” Premier Manufacturing President Paul Grycko says. “We have no doubt this product will reduce the number of disconnects occurring, which improves industry safety.”
Premier adds that company representatives have had discussions with fleets to develop a product like the 820ELA to further enhance their own current safety protocols.
“Fleets have approached us and asked that we help find a solution to trailer separation events,” Grycko says. “We think the new 820ELA is an additional safety measure that will help do that.”
Premier highlights that it is always the responsibility of the person making the coupling connection to ensure the latch is closed and the driver’s responsibility to verify that the equipment is correctly connected before moving the vehicle. If the coupling is not properly closed, the 820ELA is there to help avoid a catastrophic failure.