Fontaine Trailer (www.fontainetrailer.com) is launching what it calls a “revolutionary” aluminum flatdeck trailer that’s said to weigh just 8000 lb in 48-ft form while handling a 60,000-lb load concentrated in just four feet. It combines aluminum main beams with an extruded aluminum floor in a unitized design. Fittingly, the company says, the new trailer is called the Revolution.

There’s also a sister model, the new Revolution Hybrid, a composite steel/aluminum 48-footer that weighs only 9000 lb but handles a 55,000-lb load concentrated in four feet. It features 23-in. steel main beams combined with the same extruded aluminum floor seen on the all-aluminum model.

Fontaine says it’s working with its largest dealer north of the border, Ocean Trailer, to create Canadianized versions of these new models.

The trailer floor features an integrated load-securement system to improve safety and convenience. Modular chain tie-downs slide in grooves that are built into the floor. You can position them virtually anywhere on the deck to secure loads quickly and easily, says Fontaine.

The patent-pending design is made possible by 3D solid modeling and friction-stir welding technology. That welding process, proven in the aerospace industry, uses little heat but is said to produce superior structural integrity by bonding molecules. The join is no stronger than conventional welding at any given point, but it’s more consistent along the entire weld line, resulting in greater strength overall.

Another key patent-pending feature is the one-piece extruded aluminum siderail that’s said to withstand impact damage better than steel equivalents.

The two trailers also sport an LED lighting package designed by Grote that reduces the number of electrical connections – thus increasing the likelihood of reliability — by more than 60%. The electrical system is backed by a comprehensive 10-year warranty.