Walmart’s new

TORONTO — Walmart Canada revealed its newest addition to its freight division, a “supercube” tractor-trailer that will carry 40 percent more cargo.

Designed and built by Mississauga-based Innovative Trailer Design (ITD), the new trailer design features an internal hydraulic elevator allowing more freight to be pushed to the farthest reaches of the trailer.

Unlike regular trailers, the supercube also sits lower to the ground, increasing interior clearance.

And despite having a length of 60 feet, the trailer remains exactly the same length as standard tractor-trailer set-ups pulling 53 footers.

This is achieved thanks to its innovative “drome” box design sitting between the front and rear axles just behind the driver, who, due to the truck’s cab layout, sits right at the front of the truck, just over the engine and front wheels.

Andy Ellis, Walmart’s Senior VP of supply chain and logistics, said this Freightliner-driven supercube trailer will be the first of four to function in Canada, all four of which will be in Ontario.

UPDATE: In 1980, Doug Smith, the founder of Manitoulin Transport, introduced to Canada what was called a “Super Truck.” The northern-Ontario-based hauler’s rig consisted of a cabover tractor with a 13-ft dromedary box that allowed temperature-controlled freight to be moved while pulling a stake-and-rack trailer. It meant heavier product like lumber could be pulled at the same time as general freight.

The design can be traced back to the 1950s, but Smith was the Canadian pioneer, and quite a few carriers have since embraced the dromedary configuration.

Watch for a feature on the design in the December issue of Today’s Trucking.