STC Trailers has always been built on opportunity and necessity. The Blackfoot, Idaho-based company was formed eight years ago when the growers of Idaho Select, a fresh-pack cooperative, decided there must be a more efficient way to keep their truck fleets in repair. Not long after the truck center came to be, the need for a new trailer arose, and it was decided that it would be more affordable to build the trailer on-site than to buy one.
That first trailer was a success, so a few more were built as the need arose on the Idaho Select farms. Before long, however, neighbors began asking about the live-bottom trailers, and the trailer idea blossomed into a full-blown business venture.
Since then, STC has worked to develop several stainless steel hauling products. The company is particularly proud of its 20- to 24-foot cab- and chassis-mounted truck beds, which today can be seen on trucks from southeastern Idaho to the Red River Valley to Maine. In 2013 STC developed a truck bed with a side door that slides into the bed rather than folding down and out. (A patent is pending on the product.)
The STC crew prides itself on being able to manufacture anything a customer wants. “We offer more options on truck beds than any other manufacturer,” says STC sales manager Byron Duffin. “We feel that our products are as good as or better than our competitors’. We’ve done some pretty exciting things on our truck beds.” Those exciting things include both chain-flap and solid-drive belts, the industry’s only full-swing tailgate, and STC’s signature “diamond” construction.
“That diamond is for more than just aesthetics,” says Duffin. “It provides structural soundness. We’ve never had any cracks or any kind of structural failure in our trailers.”
Perhaps the most exciting new development for STC Trailers is its recent joint venture with Double L Mfg. in which Double L’s sales network—which is much larger than STC’s—will market STC products across the country. STC products will still have the STC name on them, but there will likely be potential for some cross-branding.
“We’re still evolving,” says Duffin, “so this deal with Double L is a really good thing for both sides. It offers Double L another group of equipment to their established customers, and it offers us an instant sales force. We don’t care how it gets there; we just want our products in growers’ hands.”
Growers and retailers can learn more about STC Trailers’ line of stainless steel products by calling (208)785-1369 or going to www.stctrailers.com.