Felling Trailers designs and builds customized solutions for complex municipal work in Alberta

For the City of Lethbridge, Alberta, efficient utility fleet operations meant balancing cost, safety, and flexibility. Their electric operations team faced the challenge of transporting utility poles, streetlight poles, transformers, and other heavy materials across active municipal worksites. Standard pole trailers couldn't accommodate their diverse load requirements. Equipment trailers couldn't handle the overall length of the utility poles, and their existing trailers could no longer keep pace. They needed an upgrade: one trailer capable of handling demanding payloads, accommodating long pole lengths, and withstanding the rigors of daily utility work.

The City issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) with detailed specifications. What they needed was a manufacturer willing to take on the challenge and capable of engineering a purpose-built solution, on spec, on budget, and built to last. NCCHD, a Felling Trailers dealer serving the region, received the City's RFQ and immediately brought Felling into the conversation. Mark Rapp, Felling's utility telecom product specialist, collaborated with Kirk May of NCCHD and the City of Lethbridge through extensive back-and-forth clarification sessions to ensure the build would be right on par. 

"From the start, Mark demonstrated exceptional commitment and expertise in the development of two custom FT-24-3 UPTs (utility pole/material trailers). Felling took on a highly specialized build and translated those needs into a durable, purpose-built design that made the project a success," stated Kirk.

How the trailers were built to meet the City's needs 

Felling Trailers designed and built two custom FT-24-3 UPT (Utility Pole/Material Trailers) for the City of Lethbridge. Every feature was driven by one question: what does this crew actually need to do the job?

Capacity

• GVWR: 27,600 pounds | GAWR: 24,000 pounds
• Cargo capacity: 19,700 pounds | Empty weight: 7,900 pounds 
• Axles: Three 8,000-pound oil bath | Tires: 215/75R 17.5 H, 8 bolt plate wheels

Telescopic tongue 

• Retracted: 32 feet | Extended: 42 feet with a 10-foot telescopic tongue
• 2 and one-quarter-inch pin with slot and tab locking system, no lynch pin required
• Transport utility poles up to 67 feet in length
• Wiring: heavy-duty energy chain (cat track) inside tongue 

Pole handling and load securement

• Bolster: Three 5-inch double c-channel bolsters (tongue, front bed, rear bed) for poles to rest on
• Lock stanchion: Two 21-inch-tall sliding, removable lever lock stanchions per bolster
• Streetlight bar and cradle: 9-foot removable horizontal cross bar rear bolster for davit poles
• Tie downs: C-track with five 4-inch sliding barrel winches, five 4-inch x 30-foot nylon straps with flat hooks 
• Tie downs: Rub rails with stake pockets on both sides

Main deck and cargo area

• Deck: 32-feet long x 102-inches wide, ample room to haul transformers and misc. materials
• Deck type: 2-inch white oak with anti-skid coating for load stability and crew safety
• Two 48-inch aluminum toolboxes at rear, store removable pole light bar, tie downs, tools
• Traffic advisory light bar with multi-setting control module in toolbox

"Some jobs call for standard Felling Utility Pole Trailers, and then there are those that call for one to be built to your customized spec with safety-minded features," explains Rapp. "This was one of those projects where every detail mattered." The City of Lethbridge has expressed satisfaction with the performance and quality of the finished units, and additional trailer purchases are already planned for the spring. This project stands as a clear example of what Felling Trailers does best: listening carefully, building purposefully, and delivering clear results.