ArvinMeritor’s RideSentry trailer suspension, unveiled a year ago, now sports a “revolutionary” new PinLoc slider locking mechanism. It’s said to reduce the potential for incidents by using an angled pin design and an air assist with a parking brake interlock to securely engage the slider pins before the trailer is put in transit.

Called a “one-of-a-kind” slider pin system, it was announced at the Mid-America Trucking Show and will be in production in June.

“Our research has shown that many trailers are operated without the slide pins properly engaged, which can lead to an on-road hazard. We recognized the opportunity to help our customers and our industry with a patented PinLoc system that reduces the chances of this happening,” said Sergio Carvalho, vice president and general manager of North American Trailer Systems for ArvinMeritor. “This situation can create risk for truck drivers and motorists, while potentially causing fleets and owner-operators economic hardship.”

The RideSentry suspension is suited to dry and refrigerated van trailers in capacities of 38,000 and 40,000 lb.

PinLoc combines an air assist, parking brake interlock, and its unique angled pins. These features combine to compensate for operator error and ensure that pins engage in body rails. If the trailer is operated without pins engaged and trailer brakes are applied, conventional pins will ratchet down body rails until the slide box impacts with the stop bar. Tests have shown that at speeds above 4 mph conventional pins will not engage.

PinLoc has been tested up to speeds of 70 mph with the pins engaging in the first body rail hole every time, ArvinMeritor says.

The RideSentry trailer suspension features high-strength steel, contoured lateral plates, beaded center-hanger brackets, and new profile side rails to provide excellent buckling, racking and curbing resistance. As well, the bonded-rubber upper-control-arm bushings with steel thrust washers have long warranty coverage of seven years parts/five years labor.