DURHAM, NC – Sunbelt Rentals is fielding TeleSwivel brand proximity hitches to all of its vehicles that tow trailers, starting with hitch adapters on new pickup trucks for managers and sales reps and receiver hitches in new roll back, stake body, and service trucks. Retro-fit plans are also in the works so that vehicles in the existing fleet can gain the benefit of this new technology.

TeleSwivel hitching systems extend and swivel to give drivers a target zone that is up to 25 times larger than a traditional hitch to connect the trailer coupler to the truck. TeleSwivel users can get close and move the hitch, rather than repeatedly repositioning the vehicle, or worse, trying to muscle a heavy trailer onto the hitch, according to the company. TeleSwivel’s larger target area enables first-pass connections and reduces the excessive idling that wastes fuel and time.

“The TeleSwivel technology is a game changer for us in terms of more efficient and safer trailer operations,” said Bret Wolf, strategic purchasing manager at Sunbelt Rentals. “Initial trials indicate that we’ll be saving 6-8 minutes on every trailer hook-up, and we connect to trailers thousands of times per month. We estimate that TeleSwivel will save more than 197,000 gallons of fuel and $2.21 million across our fleet each year.”

In addition to increased productivity and reduced fuel and maintenance expenses, Sunbelt Rentals’ leadership is focused on the safety improvement that TeleSwivel delivers.

“We work very hard to give our employees the safest tools and working environment possible,” said David Haug, Sunbelt Rentals’ national safety director. “But, at the end of the day, our customers depend on us to get them the equipment they need on time, and this tool enables our drivers to operate more safely in this fast-paced environment by giving them a safe solution for connecting trucks to trailers.”