Wabco commits big to building more in the U.S.
Wabco localized manufacturing of its air disc brakes in the U.S. to meet increasing demand. (Photo courtesy of Wabco)
Since stopping distances were reduced a few years ago by the feds, air disc brakes have been growing in popularity.
As more truck and trailer makers are opting to make them standard or an option, inevitably more have to be produced. Wabco Holdings Inc., has experienced such phenomenal growth that it prompted the construction of a new manufacturing plant in Charleston, S.C.
The 145,000-square-foot facility expanded Wabco’s manufacturing capacity by 60 percent.
Wabco started planning the facility two years ago. A new partnership with Hendrickson, along with growth in the truck sector with Daimler Trucks North America, prompted, in part, the need for the new and expanded facility.
Wabco had previously supplemented producing disc brake systems for U.S. customers from its production facilities in Germany and Poland.
Jon Morrison, president of Wabco Americas, said the big manufacturing presence in Germany and Poland made sense. Upwards of 80 percent of all trucks have air disc brakes over there. As staggering as that is, almost 70 percent of trailers have them.
Growing acceptance
The U.S. market is certainly lagging behind those levels, but growing, Morrison said. He said roughly 10 percent of trailers in the U.S. run disc brakes.
Air disc brakes are quickly winning over truckers who may once have seen the cost as something of an issue.
Wabco’s air disc brakes can stop 10 percent quicker than drum systems. The maintenance cost of the Wabco single-piston system, now in its fourth generation with 25 percent fewer parts, is much less than the cost of drum systems. They boast technicians can swap out brake pads on a disc system four times faster than the linings of a drum.
Their air disc brake system is just one of Wabco’s offerings featured in their brand-new tour truck. Debuting at the Mid-America Trucking Show, the trailer will hit the road and will begin its tour in Portland, Ore.
The trailer is on display at MATS. It’s in Wabco’s booth, 34340 in the South Wing.
