Q/A Archives

July 2009

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Flooring

Featured Question

APITONG FLOORING 1
Posted by ROBBIE from GREESNBORO, NC, US on October 22, 2008

WHERE CAN I BUY APITONG FLOORING?

NEED: 1-5/16 TH X 7″ W ………470 LFT

1-5/16 TH X 5″ W ………280 LFT

CAN I GET IN 48′ LGHTS?

TO USE TO RE-FLOOR TRAILER BEDS.

ALSO CALLED “GHANA” WOOD / AFRICAN SPECIES??????

I would recommend you qualify what you are looking for with the following:

1. There are many repair shops that offer Apitong and some will offer substitute species for Apitong. Any one of these locations in your area can be contacted. You will typically find a wide range of prices. Much of the difference in price can be attributed directly to the quality of the flooring material.
2. There are only a handful of companies that will guarantee 100% Apitong. The others allow a mixture of species that could perform, but any many instances are not suitable for flatbed trailer flooring. In most cases, these companies will not know the difference in species.
3. Aftermarket companies offering truly 100% Apitong and/or “OEM Quality” would be the first ones contact. A reminder, not all OEM dealers offer “OEM Quality”. A few of the companies, who currently source 100% Apitong for aftermarket, are in no particular order – FleetPride, Fontaine Part Source, New Life, Trailmobile, Utility.
4. Other species (such as those from Ghana and others) will perform differently and may not hold up over time. A good rule of thumb is the cost of installation is 1.5 to 2 times the cost of the correct raw material, 100% Apitong. Therefore, having to replace poor performing, substitute, material will be more costly in the long run. If the re-floored trailer is expected to last over three years without extra flooring repairs, do not use substitutes.

With regard to full trailer length, any of the companies above have the ability to quote full length. If not, you can contact Overseas Hardwoods Company to find a dealer in your area.
Best regards,

W.R. "Bill" Schaffer
Vice President OHC

RLT Flooring
Posted by Thomas from Atlanta, GA, US on September 13, 2006

I see your advertising that RLT Flooring can double the Life of your Trailer Flooring. Do you have any side by side comparisons?

I assume you’re asking if a particular fleet hauling similar freight on trailers with the same age has data. The answer is many comparisons. Please reference the following links www.overseashardwoods.com/rlt2.htm, www.overseashardwoods.com/rlt3.htm which illustrate first hand knowledge from such fleets. The degradation of wood flooring happens at the board ends. In a traditional random length floor, these board ends will begin deteriorating (absorbing and losing moister) within the first six months. Depending on the species of wood used and the environment the trailer is subjected to, the board ends will pull through the screws and will become very week. Upon inspection of a 2-4 year old floor that has random length flooring, one would find several board ends loose, broken and have no carrying capacity. All of which also create potential safety hazards.

Thank you for your question, hopefully this will assist you and any others that may have similar needs -WRS.

Trailer Manufacturers
Posted by Jill from Carson City, NV, US on September 7, 2006

How can I get a list of Trailer Manufacturers who offer Road Load Tested Flooring?

Jill,

Overseas Hardwoods Company’s web-site, www.overseashardwoods.com, has a list of the companies that use Road Load Tested® (RLT) as their standard floor. Almost all manufacturers have installed RLT and will install RLT if specified by their customers even if they are not standardized on it. Based on the volume purchased, there may be an up charge if the manufacturer does not offer RLT as its standard floor. In addition, the US Military specifies this product on new and refurbished trailers.

Thank you for your question, hopefully this will assist you and any others that may have similar needs -WRS.

Best flatbed trailer floor
Posted by Super from New York, NY, USA on August 24, 2006

What would be the best floor for a flatbed trailer?

There are many products that are on the market today for flatbed trailers, i.e. wood, aluminum, plywood, composites. Depending on the application, each of these products can work well, very well, or very poorly. Composite products have not been proven over time and have not been cost effective. Plywood products have a niche in the market but by and large solid wood or aluminum with wooden nailer strips are used extensively for their abilities to carry the load.

Cracking and breaking at the ends of the boards
Posted by Super from New York, NY, USA on August 24, 2006

I’m noticing the boards cracking and breaking at the ends of the boards. Can this be eliminated?

Yes. Deterioration will always happen at the ends of the boards. The way to eliminate this happening is a full continuous piece. The product that does this is Road Load Tested.

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