Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company
Encyclopedia
Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company is an American
semi-trailer
manufacturer.
) vans, flatbed trailers
, and Tautliner curtain-sided trailers.
Utility Trailer is the oldest privately-held trailer manufacturer in the United States. They are the largest manufacturer of refrigerated vans, and the third largest manufacturer of trailers in the United States.
, and in the Freeport Center
in Clearfield, Utah
. Dry vans are produced in Glade Spring, Virginia
and Paragould, Arkansas
. Flatbed trailers and Tautliners are made in Enterprise, Alabama
.
.
During World War I
, Utility Trailer built cable reel
trailers for the U.S. Government. The trailers allowed one person to pick up and move a large spool of wire with minimal effort. The company provided ammunition
trailers and other items to the U.S. Government during World War II
.
The rapid expansion of the Interstate Highway System
in the U.S. helped Utility Trailer to survive the Great Depression
and grow during tough economic times. Over the years, factories
were built and acquired, and the company invested in developing new trailer technology
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
semi-trailer
Semi-trailer
A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. A large proportion of its weight is supported by a road tractor, a detachable front axle assembly known as a dolly, or the tail of another trailer...
manufacturer.
Company overview
Utility Trailer designs and manufactures dry freight and (reeferRefrigerator truck
A refrigerator truck is a van or truck designed to carry perishable freight at specific temperatures. Like refrigerator cars, refrigerated trucks differ from simple insulated and ventilated vans , neither of which are fitted with cooling apparatus...
) vans, flatbed trailers
Flatbed truck
A flatbed truck is a type of truck which can be either articulated or rigid. As the name suggests, it has an entirely flat, level 'bed' body with no sides or roof...
, and Tautliner curtain-sided trailers.
Utility Trailer is the oldest privately-held trailer manufacturer in the United States. They are the largest manufacturer of refrigerated vans, and the third largest manufacturer of trailers in the United States.
Factories
Utility Trailer operates five factories. Refrigerated trailers are made in Marion, VirginiaMarion, Virginia
Marion is a town in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,968 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Smyth County. The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion.-Tourism:...
, and in the Freeport Center
Freeport Center
The Freeport Center is a manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution center located in Clearfield, Utah, United States. It was originally built in 1942 as the Clearfield Naval Supply Depot, which was decommissioned in 1962....
in Clearfield, Utah
Clearfield, Utah
Clearfield is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. The population was 25,974 at the 2000 census. The city grew drastically during the 1940s, with the formation of Hill Air Force Base, and in the 1950s with the nation-wide increase in suburb and "bedroom" community populations and has been...
. Dry vans are produced in Glade Spring, Virginia
Glade Spring, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,374 people, 565 households, and 402 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,093.4 people per square mile . There were 626 housing units at an average density of 498.2 per square mile...
and Paragould, Arkansas
Paragould, Arkansas
-Health & Education:Paragould is home to Arkansas State University Paragould, Arkansas Northeastern College, Black River Technical College, and Crowley's Ridge College. Paragould has two public school districts, the Greene County Technical School District and the Paragould School District, as well...
. Flatbed trailers and Tautliners are made in Enterprise, Alabama
Enterprise, Alabama
Enterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee and Dale Counties in the southeastern part of Alabama in the Southern United States. The population was estimated to be 25,909 in the year 2009....
.
History
Utility Trailer was founded in 1914 by E.W. Bennett and H.C. Bennett, and was one of the first truck trailer manufacturers in the United States. The first product was a single axle trailer designed to accommodate 60 bales of cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Utility Trailer built cable reel
Cable reel
A cable reel is a round, drum-shaped object such as a spool used to carry various types of electrical wires. Cable reel which can also be termed as drums have been used for many years to transport electric cables, fiber optic cables and wire products...
trailers for the U.S. Government. The trailers allowed one person to pick up and move a large spool of wire with minimal effort. The company provided ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
trailers and other items to the U.S. Government during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The rapid expansion of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in the U.S. helped Utility Trailer to survive the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
and grow during tough economic times. Over the years, factories
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
were built and acquired, and the company invested in developing new trailer technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
.