Walking in the right direction

Trailers equipped with WALKING FLOOR® technology from Keith Manufacturing Co. have helped a Florida hauling firm expand into new sectors.

Business owners and managers have no shortage of concerns when considering whether to pursue new opportunities. In the solid waste and recycling sector, those considerations almost always include the cost and safe utilization of labor.

At Winter Garden, Florida-based C&W Global, many of the labor-related concerns the company had about expanding its municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition (C&D) materials business have been addressed by the purchase of trailers with WALKING FLOOR® technology from Keith Manufacturing Co.

In terms of many of the discarded materials it now handles, C&W Global Vice President Kevin Creeden says, “We simply didn’t haul it before we purchased the WALKING FLOOR® trailers.”

For C&W, owning the trailers—equipped with moving (reciprocating) floor slats that load and unload materials from truck trailers without the need for hands-on labor—means, “We are able to haul larger volumes and it gives us more choices for backhaul options,” says Creeden.

The Florida company’s commitment to trailers with Keith WALKING FLOOR® systems has been a major one. Creeden says as of early 2018, C&W’s fleet consists of 55 such trailers that carry loads ranging from MSW and C&D materials to mulch, potting soil and wood products.

Creeden is convinced the WALKING FLOOR® trailers are an upgrade in terms of safety compared to dump trailers, and he says working with the staff at Keith Manufacturing has been a positive experience. “Our Keith representative comes by at least once each quarter to check on things, and also is available by phone if needed,” he comments.

The safety and automation aspects of Keith WALKING FLOOR® systems will likely only grow in importance in the future, as hauling firms face increased regulatory scrutiny regarding safety and an increasingly tight labor market.

More information on made-in-the-U.S.A. Keith WALKING FLOOR® systems, including the many applications in which Keith’s 60,000 units can be found globally, can be obtained by visiting keithwalkingfloor.com or by calling (800) 547-6161.

“C&W’s fleet consists of 55 WALKING FLOOR® trailers that carry loads ranging from MSW and C&D materials to mulch, potting soil and wood products.”– Kevin Creeden, C&W Global Vice President