The trailers, which feature 48-inch self-unloading belts, don’t have to be perfectly level after backing in to dump sites to prevent lopsided dumps, which can flip the heavy equipment and seriously injure workers.

Trinity trailer belts don’t have that problem. They allow truckers to back in, unload in four minutes and be off to their next pickup. Dump trucks take longer just to get level.

Stokely says the faster turnarounds allow his truckers to pick up an extra two loads — netting him an extra $500 — per day. “We run six days a week, all year round,” Stokely said. “Those extra loads add up.”

Trinity trailers also negate losses most coal haulers face each winter due to cold weather. The cold can freeze payloads in trailers, taking them out of the pickup rotation until they thaw enough to unload. The heavy-duty plastic bed liners in Trinity trailers prevent loads from freezing to the floor, even in the coldest temperatures.

“I’ve seen loads freeze that took three or four days to get them out of the truck,” Stokely said. “If you don’t have that full-bed liner — and most [trailers] don’t — those are lost days.”

Stokely has worked in coal hauling for more than three decades, enough time to learn all of the ways dump trucks and standard trailers fail to hold up to the heavy loads. He reached out to Trinity and asked if they’d be willing to engineer a heftier version of their trailer that was up to the job. Trinity’s engineers worked with Stokely and designed its strongest trailer to date, with upgraded stainless steel sheet walls nearly one-eighth of an inch thick, 30,000 pound axles and 16-ply tires to handle the extra wear and tear. Critically, the team also doubled the plastic bedliner thickness and upgraded its material.

Trinity’s standard trailer models offer superior flexibility, a huge selling point for most customers. But coal haulers need strength and rigidity more than flexibility, and Stokley said the Trinity team’s custom design delivered what he was looking for. It is ideal for hauling coal, gravel or other heavy materials.

“We had many conversations, and the guys at Trinity received our input very well,” Stokley said. “They were very attentive. A lot of stuff had to get changed to get this thing made.” Stokely hopes to expand his small operation, which would require growing his trailer fleet.

“We’ll be going with Trinity, absolutely,” he said. “Trinity is number one for the best belt trailer out there. Their steel trailers won’t crack like aluminum trailers do. They are the best for durability and maintenance.”

Other coal haulers have noticed that Diamond Trucking and its Trinity fleet never seem to miss loads. He tells them there’s a reason for that.

“If you are contemplating buying a belt trailer, you should definitely look at Trinity before anything else,” he said. “It will be your best bet over time. Whether it’s Trinity’s standard stainless steel trailer, or the heavier model like we have, I think Trinity is the best way to go.”

THE FACTS

COMPANY: Diamond Trucking
INDUSTRY: Coal
LOCATION: Stanaford, West Virginia

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