There‘s a new refrigerated trailer on the scene, almost, a product jointly introduced by CIMC and Direct Chassis. With the box made in China and all else made stateside, with assembly done in the U.S.,  the all new CIMC R8000 was shown for the first time at the recent Mid-America Trucking Show. It will be available in June and sold in North America through a network of CIMC Master Dealers, Direct Chassis, and Vanguard National Trailer dealers.

Available in 53-ft form only, the trailer features high-gloss stainless-steel top face and corner covers with 5-hinge doors and flat exterior and interior surfaces. It uses a proven sandwich panel foaming technology with pre-painted white aluminum sides. The side posts are of extruded aluminum on 12-in. centers to the landing gear and on 24-in. centers from there to the rear. The floor is extruded aluminum with a 16,000-lb rating. Scuffbands are 12-in. high aluminum.

Crossmembers are 4-in. deep heavy-duty extruded aluminum I-beams on 12-in. centers from upper coupler to landing gear, 4-in. wax-coated steel I-beams on 12-in. centers over the landing gar and upper side rails. In the bay area, crossmembers are 5-in. heavy-duty aluminum I-beams on 12-in. centers. At the rearmost 72 in. of the trailer, you’ll see three extra 4-in.-high steel I-beams on 6-in. centers and seven extra I-beam on 10-in. centers to handle loading/unloading impacts. CIMC says the trailer has been designed to handle the “rugged requirements” of the North American market. LED lighting is by Truck-Lite.

CIMC, an acronym for China International Marine Container Co., is no small players. It’s been the world’s largest producer of containers since 1996 and the largest builder of refrigerated containers since 2000. While we won’t see them here for the time being, the company is also the world’s largest maker of tank trailers, supplying much of the European market, among others. Globally, the company employs some 3400 engineers and overall staff of 60,000.

CIMC has been assembling van trailers here, in Monon, IN, since 2004 and its Vanguard subsidiary has about 6% of the U.S. market. Going forward, CIMC dealers will represent all CIMC products, including the new reefer, Vanguard freight vans, flatbeds and container chassis by 60%-owned Direct Chassis, and containers by CIMC.