Revere by CIE – The Logical Choice

CIE Manufacturing

Would anyone argue that a container chassis lives in one of the more difficult environments in the freight hauling business? In some cases, relatively long periods of inactivity followed by a 60,000 lb. box being dropped on it, many of its critical components unprotected from the elements when there is no container mounted on it, rarely getting washed and general neglect because it’s “just a chassis?” We believe it’s safe to say that container chassis don’t feel the same love much of the industry’s equipment does. CIE understands that and has answered the call to action.

The Revere container chassis by CIE offers a solution to the difficult environment a container chassis must exist in. While much of the other trailing equipment in the industry has gotten upgrades to help extend life cycles, enhance reliability and improve safety, the container chassis has been largely left behind in terms of technology. By combining a set of high-quality components with leading edge manufacturing processes and exhaustive quality control checks, it offers value unmatched in its class of trailing equipment. Available across the entire model line-up offered by CIE, Revere offers features that address the challenges container chassis must meet.

While It is true that all trailing equipment lives in the same on-highway environment, subject to the same corrosive chemicals used in cold-weather operation, generally at the same speeds, similar traffic conditions and at the same GVW loads, a container chassis lives an unusually difficult life. From potentially being stored with other chassis on top of it to rough treatment when it being used and the aforementioned periods of inactivity, it takes special components to handle this type of environment. From powder coated frame rails and attached components to extended-life landing gear to a fully sealed electrical system and on to wheel ends that need no adjustment and highly reliable braking systems that ensure safe stopping capabilities, Revere’s unique combination of components is changing the image of the container chassis.

Building a chassis with the best components for the job is paramount to keeping maintenance costs in check, especially unscheduled maintenance costs or road breakdowns. If you ask most fleets what their main equipment issues are, the answers are nearly universal. Tires, brakes and lights (pretty much in that order) are what causes the most headaches. According to a recent report, over 12,000 vehicles were placed out of service during the CVSA Roadcheck blitz in June. Of those vehicles placed out of service, 17% of the violations were listed as brake adjustment issues. Lights have been reported to be up to 5% of a fleet’s annual maintenance costs. While we can’t guarantee there will never be an issue, building a chassis with a Revere specification will certainly limit the exposure to many of a fleet’s biggest headaches and unexpected maintenance costs.

Proper wheel bearing adjustment is often elusive, even for the most experienced technician. Incorrect bearing adjustment has major impact on wheel seal and bearing life and in extreme cases, tire wear. Revere’s wheel end is designed to extend bearing and seal life to well beyond what a standard wheel end can offer. As mentioned, tire issues also rank high on the list of problems fleets must deal with. Add an optional automatic tire inflation system to the list of standard equipment used and Revere offers a complete package of components to answer the major issues that present themselves in the harsh intermodal environment.

Starting with laser metal cutting and robotic welding of the frame rail components of the chassis to ensure the ultimate in a well manufactured product, assembling everything together in an extremely modern and clean environment to constant and consistent quality control checks through the entire process, Revere does more than just “talk to talk” about safety, quality and long life. It also “walks the walk” by offering an unmatched, 10-year warranty on all non-wear parts. CIE and our North American dealers think it’s high time container chassis technology is brought up to the same standards as much of the other equipment in the trucking industry.

But Revere’s long warranty is only part of the story. North America’s chassis fleet is aging, there is no question about that. It is estimated that of the estimated 500,000 chassis in active service, about 40% were built prior to 1997. That means spoke wheels, fatigued metal parts and incandescent lights are abundant in the North American fleet and ABS is absent on a fair number of these vehicles. These are all safety-related items that must be upgraded. We searched for the most reliable and safest products we could find while keeping an eye on total cost of ownership and incorporated them into the Revere specification.

Stay tuned in the coming days as we dive deeper into the components and systems used in the Revere package as we show you why CIE Manufacturing is leading the Intermodal Evolution.