VERNON BRIDGE, P.E.I. – Drake Truck Bodies, in conjunction with L & K Equipment of New Hampshire, has designed and manufactured a new vertical lift system for van bodies and trailers.

The North American Truck Show in Boston last May marked the launch of the lift system for the East Coast company.

Brian Scales, president/owner of Drake Truck Bodies, says the product has sparked a great deal of interest in not only the trucking industry but for the food service, dairy, lubricants and beverage industries as well.

“It is a revolutionary product because most lift gates are on the outside of the van body but this one is installed into the body while it is being built,” says Scales. “It is ideal for urban areas where trucks are required to double park because you don’t need the extra four to six feet of space behind the truck that the traditional lift gate would require.”

The unit features a van body or pup trailer with a drop floor section. It has dual hydraulic cylinders with a 3,000 lb lift capacity and 100,000 lift cycles.

The driver-friendly unit features fewer moving components than traditional lifting systems. As a result, only minimal, if any maintenance is required.

The lift unit can be on either the side or rear of a Drake van body or pup trailer and operates by the touch of a switch or remote control unit.

Drake Truck Bodies has manufactured aluminum dry and refrigerated van bodies for the Eastern Canada and Eastern U.S. markets for over 20 years.

The bodies are built with heavy-duty standard features and have a five-year warranty.

“We are known for building durable bodies that exceed industry standards, and fulfill customer needs,” Scales says.

Drake’s truck bodies can be customized to meet the requirements of the client.

“We can build the body and the lift system to any specific requirements or needs. If the customer wants the system towards the end of the truck or more towards the middle on the side of the truck then that is what we will do,” says Scales.

As a safety feature, over-ride sensors activated by one pound of pressure reverses the direction of the platform to protect the operator and product. A warning beeper cautions the operator to moving parts, and an emergency trip wire will shut the unit down if touched by the operator.

Scales says the vertical lift system shares the benefits of the traditional systems, but doesn’t require the maintenance or the physical power to use.

“This lift unit reduces strenuous activity for the driver, which minimizes the risk of injury. Fewer injuries will reduce down time and worker’s compensation claims and increase productivity,” says Scales.

For more details call Drake Truck Bodies at 888 651-2782 or visit www.draketruck.com.