Aluminum replacing steel in Maxon liftgates
No single-brand manufacturer delivers more liftgates for trucks than Maxon. Its products are saving weight with aluminum and benefiting from the good looks that customers want.
Maxon manufactures liftgates for light, medium and heavy-duty trucks out of California. The liftgates tend to be stored flush against the back doors of trucks or trailers, and they often serve as the actual door or tailgate to the vehicles.
Aluminum is used most frequently in the platforms for Maxon’s liftgates, often at the expense of steel. Purchasing manager Virginia Tejeda says that Penske and Ryder, two of the largest truck and trailer companies in the United States, are leading the change.
"It's because of the rust. They want the platform to look pretty," she says.
They don’t want to see rust, and they don’t want their customers to see rust. They want aluminum, because it looks better, longer.