U.S. Xpress Enterprises, one of the nation’s largest privately owned truckload carriers, has chosen Webb Vortex Unlimited brake drums for its fleet of 8,000 over-the road tractors and 22,000 trailers when replacement drums are required. U.S. Xpress will spec the Webb Vortex Unlimited drum for new equipment purchases as well.
“At U.S. Xpress we continually look for ways to increase uptime for our vehicles and to lower total cost of ownership,” notes Gerry Mead, Vice President of Maintenance for U.S. Xpress. “We have found that Webb Vortex drums help us do that. In addition to the cooler running temperatures, I especially like the wear indicator machined right into the drum that really saves time in our maintenance shops. Our techs can easily see when drum replacement is required.”
The Webb Vortex Unlimited premium brake drum has an innovative design offering fleets like U.S. Xpress extended life and reduced maintenance costs. Brakes work better and last longer at cooler temperatures. The patented Webb Vortex Unlimited brake drum has external cooling ribs that conduct heat away from the brake surface for superior heat dissipation and 10% lower operating temperatures. Running at these lower temperatures means the Vortex Unlimited performs better than standard drums and can last more than 25% longer. The Webb Vortex Unlimited brake drum also includes a patent-pending wear indicator that takes the guess work out of wear measurements, saving maintenance dollars. The Webb Vortex Unlimited series of drums is now available for replacement needs with Webb’s patent-pending Cool Running Technology or CRT vents which can further reduce operating temperature by 15%.
Johnathon Capps, Vice President of Engineering for the Webb Wheel Aftermarket Business comments, “Within the Marmon Highway Technology group of companies, innovation begins with the customer to truly understand their issues and then provide meaningful solutions. It’s this focus that drove the creation of the Webb Vortex Unlimited brake drums. To have a cost-conscience company like U.S. Xpress choose this product confirms that this drum design has met our goals to provide an industry-leading, low-temperature, long-life solution.”
