Customers Call Croft Back Into Trailer Production

Oct. 1, 2000
It has been nearly half a century since Croft Trailer Supply has done more than just supply trailers to the rental industry.Now, Croft is making them

It has been nearly half a century since Croft Trailer Supply has done more than just supply trailers to the rental industry.

Now, Croft is making them again.

In the 1950s, the Kansas City, Mo.-based company manufactured a full line of open and enclosed trailers for the rental market before deciding to focus on parts sales as well as marketing the trailers of other manufacturers. Customers weren't content with the products on the market in subsequent years, and the feedback received from many clients persuaded Croft it was time to restart production.

"It was a big reason for getting back into manufacturing," says purchasing agent Bill Ratliff of customer feedback, adding that production began earlier this year. "Rental centers are still looking for a quality trailer."

Standard trailer sizes range from 5 by 8 feet to 6 by 12 feet, including the 5-by-12-foot model pictured. The company's all-steel welded construction features 32-inch roll-formed 16-gauge steel sides and front panels along with a one-eighth-inch steel treadplate door.

Among the other standard features are a 48-inch expanded metal ramp gate, 15-inch tires and white spoke wheels, exterior tie-downs, and 16-gauge steel fenders with a side step on each side. Optional electric and hydraulic brakes are available, and trailer colors are white, black and gray, Ratliff says.

Weight capacity for the trailers ranges from 3,000 pounds on the single axle to 6,000 pounds for the tandem axles.