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Bull Moose Tube incorporates hollow structural steel tubing in trailer design

St. Louis-based Bull Moose Tube and Manchester, Iowa-based XL Specialized Trailers have announced the successful test of an XL-designed bottom dump trailer that incorporated Bull Moose’s Stratusteel® hollow structural steel tubing in place of traditional steel tube to remove weight and add durability.

Replacing traditional steel tube with the hollow structural steel tubing reduced the trailer’s frame weight by 1,100 lbs. while maintaining strength and durability. Bull Moose provided finite element analysis, thermal testing, and a welding guide to help ensure successful welds at lower temperatures.

The trailer was tested by Sacaton, Ariz.-based customer Gila River Sand & Gravel for six months, hauling eight to 12 loads of rock and concrete sand per day across dirt roads and paved highways. The trailer experienced no performance issues and showed no evidence of cracking in the frame, the fifth-wheel pin or plate, brakes, or air systems.