Meritor announced Thursday new standard position and preferred option agreements with Wabash National and The Manitowoc Company.
Meritor and Wabash National reached a three-year agreement that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019. The company says the agreement positions Meritor’s loose axles as standard equipment designed to reduce weight and offer structural advantages − contributing to improved fleet productivity through increased fuel efficiency and payload capacity. The Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS) has also been selected as the preferred automatic tire inflation system.
Additionally, Meritor air disc brakes, along with the Meritor Trailing-Arm (MTA) suspension, hubs, drums and slack adjusters, and Meritor’s new MTec6 large-diameter axle, which provides a 40-pound weight savings to a standard axle, are optional in all Wabash configurations.
“We greatly value Wabash as a long-term customer,” says Dave Pritchard, general manager, trailer for Meritor. “We appreciate Wabash selecting Meritor for this important business and look forward to beginning this new phase of our relationship.”
Meritor has supplied a variety of trailer axle and braking systems to Wabash for more than three decades.
The company also says its products will now be featured on several crane types across Manitowoc’s extensive portfolio.
“As the mobile crane market continues to strengthen, this agreement positions Meritor as a key supplier to support crane production under Manitowoc’s Grove brand,” says Joe Muscedere, vice president, Off Highway, Specialty & Defense, North America for Meritor. “It also reinforces our commitment to invest and expand our position in off-highway markets.”
Steve Luepke, director, Off-Highway for Meritor, adds, “Meritor’s strength in manufacturing and vertical integration supports the reduced lead times required to be successful in growing markets. The agreement between Meritor and Manitowoc extends and solidifies a mutually beneficial relationship that will have long-term impact for both companies.”
