The manufacture of heavy hauler, or lowboy, semi trailers in North America is a unique product segment in the semi trailer industry. These units can be very simple--from fixed gooseneck double-drop decks for hauling agricultural and construction equipment--to very complicated, with multiple axles to haul components for large windmills. We have identified 56 players manufacturing these types of trailers. Among these companies, heavy hauler trailers are the predominant product line for nearly half of the players. Based on the approximate number of final units, this application represents an activity of around $700 million for trailer fabricators in this segment.

Going forward, the key factors for success increasingly will be production of either standardized or more customized units. Few companies manufacture standardized units, although a couple of manufacturers, such as Trail King and Fontaine, focus on standardized manufacturing. Standardization allows builders to achieve economies of scale, but most manufacturers focus on customized designs. Customization is a more involved process from a design standpoint, and customers are willing to pay extra for a specific design. This allows the manufacturer to charge a higher price and achieve higher profit margins. Additionally, the complexity of customized trailers means that manufacturers commonly export these products.

Heavy hauler semi trailer manufacturing is still a very regional market, with Trail King, Pitts Trailers, Dakota Mfg., Holden Industries Inc. and Peerless Ltd. as the only manufacturers with multiple manufacturing facilities. SVN believes that there may be opportunities for consolidation in this product segment, but with relatively few barriers to entry other than design capabilities, there will always be unforeseen competitors entering this segment.

This report has broken out production by region. It also displays estimated unit production and sales for each manufacturer within the heavy hauler markets. SVN feels that this information will be invaluable to suppliers and semi trailer manufacturers involved in this segment.

These and other issues are analyzed in this report, providing a perspective on the industry structure and dynamics of this specialized trailer segment

Key Topics Covered:

- Scope & methodology

- Product overview

- Market analysis

- Competitive review

- Market scenario

- Outlook & forecast

- Industry structure & manufacturer data

- Employment, plant size & sales correlations

Companies Mentioned:

-Arne's Trailer Sales

-Aspen Custom Trailers

-Atoka Trailer & Mfg. LLC

-BWS Mfg., Inc.

-C-ALL Mfg. Inc./Nuttall Trailers

-Carolina Trailers

-Chaparral Mfg., Inc.

-Clegg Industries

-Cozad Trailers

-Dakota Mfg. Co., Inc.

-Doepker Industries Ltd.

-Doonan Specialized Trailer LLC

-E.D. Etnyre & Co.

-Evans Trailers/John Evans Mfg.

-Everett Equipment Inc.

-Felling Trailers

-Ferree Trailers

-Fontaine Trailer Co.

-Gem State Mfg.

-General Engines Co., Inc.

-Globe Trailers

-Harley Murray Inc.

-Heil Trailer International.

-Holden Industries Inc.

-Interstate Trailers Inc.

-J & J Trailers Mfrs & Sales

-K-Line Trailers Ltd.

-Lakeside Trailer Mfg. Inc.

-Landoll Corp.

-Ledwell & Son Enterprises Inc. Liddell Trailers

-Loadstar Trailers

-Magnolia Trailers Inc.

-MANAC

-McLendon Trailers.

-Mega Corp.

-Overbilt Trailer Co.

-Palomino Mfg. Corp.

-Peerless Ltd.

-Pitts Trailers

-Pratt Industries Inc.

-Rayfab Inc.

-Rogers Mfg. Co. Inc.

-Schnure Mfg. Co. Inc.

-Scona Trailer Mfg.

-Talbert Mfg.

-Temisko 1983 Inc.

-Terex Load King Trailers/

-CMI Terex Corp.

-Thru-way Trailer Centre Ltd.

-Towmaster Trailers Inc.

-Trail King Industries

-TrailBoss Trailers

-Viking Trailers

-Waltron Ltd.

-Witzco Trailers Inc.

-X-L Specialized Trailers Inc.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cb3ab8/heavy_hauler_semi

SOURCE: Research and Markets

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