DURHAM, N.C. – April 21, 2011 – Sunbelt Rentals is fielding TeleSwivel brand proximity hitches to all of their vehicles that tow trailers, starting with hitch adapters on new pick-up trucks for managers and sales reps and receiver hitches in new roll back, stake body, and service trucks. Retro-fit plans are also in the works so that vehicles in the existing fleet can gain the benefit of this new technology.
TeleSwivel hitching systems extend and swivel to give drivers a target zone that is up to 25 times larger than a traditional hitch to connect the trailer coupler to the truck. TeleSwivel users can get close and move the hitch, rather than repeatedly repositioning the vehicle, or worse, trying to muscle a heavy trailer onto the hitch. TeleSwivel’s larger target area enables first‐pass connections and reduces the excessive idling that wastes fuel and time.
“The TeleSwivel technology is a game changer for us in terms of more efficient and safer trailer operations,” said Bret Wolf, Strategic Purchasing Manager at Sunbelt Rentals. “Initial trials indicate that we’ll be saving 6‐8 minutes on every trailer hook‐up, and we connect to trailers thousands of times per month. We estimate that TeleSwivel will save more than 197,000 gallons of fuel and $2.21 million across our fleet each year,” he added.
In addition to increased productivity and reduced fuel and maintenance expenses, Sunbelt Rentals’ leadership is focused on the safety improvement that TeleSwivel delivers. “We work very hard to give our employees the safest tools and working environment possible,” said David Haug, Sunbelt Rentals’ National Safety Director, “but at the end of the day, our customers depend on us to get them the equipment they need on time, and this tool enables our drivers to operate more safely in this ‐paced environment by giving them a safe solution for connecting trucks to trailers.”
According to Williams Innovations’ CEO, Dave Woolf, “the proximity hitch capability has been in requirements documents for the Army’s tactical wheeled vehicles for over a decade, and TeleSwivel is the only proximity hitch approved for use on Army vehicles.” He concluded that “we are proud to bring this battle-tested technology to commercial fleets, and Sunbelt Rentals is a great partner to launch TeleSwivel because their mission-focused, safety conscious culture reminds us of the military customers that we serve.”
Sunbelt Rentals, a wholly‐owned subsidiary of Ashtead Group plc, is the second largest equipment rental company in the United States. Based in Fort Mill, SC, Sunbelt Rentals provides equipment rental solutions for the industrial, construction, and municipal markets, plus the DIY market, from its network of locations in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Sunbelt Rentals’ extensive equipment fleet includes a wide range of general construction and industrial equipment, and is further
