Heard through the grapevine that things are getting pretty busy at Boydstun Trailers in Portland, OR. Their new screw actuator trailer (as opposed to hydraulic) is selling faster than they expected, and they're now out to June 2006 on new deliveries of this model. (They still have slots in production for cylinder trailers.)
Those new screw actuator trailers save quite a bit of weight-- could make the difference between loading one more car. The advantage with this sort of technology is it saves all the weight of all those heavy hydraulic lines.
I understand that the top deck can drop all the way down, which would make loading and tying down vehicles a hell of a lot safer and easier. Boydstun is now putting soft ties right in the deck, so no more trying to figure out where to store 36 ratchet straps when you're not using them. Plus, straps weigh less than chains, and all the car makers seem to be heading in the wheel strap direction.
(I think Lloyd Fitzpatrick at The Waggoners invented something similar years ago. That company retro-fitted their chain ratchets and started using straps with frame hooks that could also go over the tire as a soft tie if need be.)
Has anybody heard how Cottrell's experimentation with screw actuators is going? Send me an email.
Next time I'm up their way, I'm going to check out their new trailer.