6/28/2023 0 Comments Glider kit“In my opinion, as somebody who has owned trucks for 20-plus years, it was just the serviceability and the dependability of the glider that was enticing for an owner-operator.” When the downfall began, “we had a lot of people that were pretty upset,” Pugh said, noting some small truckers even called the loss a “gut punch.” “I think it was a big hit to owner-operators,” Lewie Pugh, executive vice president at the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said of the death of the glider. None of the three former glider manufacturers returned messages seeking comment. Fitzgerald’s brother also currently runs a separate company collision and repair division.īefore the end, federal regulators estimated that the industry was annually producing up to 10,000 gliders - trucks that utilize a previously owned engine, transmission, and usually rear axle, but new body parts.Īttempts to reach three former popular glider makers - Fitzgerald, Harrison Truck Centers Inc. “Now we’re selling brand new Peterbilts.”įitzgerald said he is the leading investor in four Peterbilt dealerships in Alabama and two in Virginia. said during a video interview posted on YouTube, recorded by the Asian Mai Show. “We played that out for a couple of years and then made our diversification move, which was into new trucks,” Tommy Fitzgerald Jr. We recap discussions from the first half of this year in this "roundabout" episode. Plus these kits, with Detroit Diesel engine, can be maintained in a local shop,” Bresaw suggested.There are many reasons for trucking's ongoing labor shortage. So what drives the glider kit business? “The reduced complexity (additional emission components) and increased fuel economy. Due to our large inventory, we sell to Freightliner dealers as part of a dealer program, which allows a dealer to complete a glider kit sale without the risk of maintaining a glider kit inventory,” said Bresaw. Our new manufacturing plant (in Byrdstown, Tenn.) is designed to accommodate fleets of any size. “Our core customer is the owner-operator, in addition to several medium-sized fleets. With about 15 kits produced weekly, “FKT has the production capability, buying power, refined process and proven track record to remain the leading glider kit supplier for over 20 years,” said Nick Bresaw, vice president, sales and operations, FKT. Another sizable dealer in Florida is assembling glider kits in its own shop, turning to its experienced technician force for expertise and quality workmanship.Īnother large supplier of glider kits, Fitzgerald Kit Tricks (FKT) in Pall Mall, Tenn., outfitted over 500 glider kits in 2011 from its two facilities. One district manager for a drivetrain supplier reported several dealers ordering glider kits for customers some are even ordering them with drive axles and remanufactured rear ends, and some with reman engines installed at the OEM level. Some carriers are placing rebuilt truck drivetrains into glider kits to avert the purchase of new engine emission standards on new trucks. ![]() There are lots of nuances, and everyone thinks they can do it themselves, but don’t fool yourself it’s a real specialty.” For its kits assembly, Schneider relies on Clarke Power Services, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based Detroit Diesel distributor with 29 service facilities.Ī glider cannot exceed 75% of the price of a similarly-equipped new truck or 12% FET is due. ![]() Plus, our drivers love them and can’t tell the difference-the glider kit units are very attractive.”īrandt strongly recommended that carriers pursuing glider kits, “Go to a vendor that’s built glider kits before. “It’s a true all-around savings for us, considering the lighter weight, pre-2010 emissions systems which save fuel and lower maintenance costs, and avoid federal excise tax (FET). ![]() “Glider kits have proven the right decision for Schneider,” said Chris Brandt, fleet sales manager, Schneider. One of Alliance’s large customers, Schneider National, a premier provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., has outfitted over 700 glider kits this year, with 100 more in the queue. Charles Napier of Alliance Truck Parts, a brand of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), reports a significant increase in the sale of glider kits in 2011.
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