That being said, some trailers survive the test of time.

“I’ve had trailers come in after making a 2,000 mile trip with a cup of coffee sitting on the console, that made the trip without spilling,” says William King. “That sort of speaks to the suspension systems of some of these things.”


When mobiles need a power nap
Mobiles are parked and powered up in storage facilities when they’re not in transit or busy serving patients. Helium levels and cold heads are closely monitored, and some companies offer PM while the trailer is in storage.

“You have to monitor those things every day, really keep an eye on them,” says Greb. He’s speaking from experience — Image Technology Consulting has an 80,000 square foot mobile storage facility in Lancaster, Texas.

Mobile trailers typically stay in storage for as little as 48 hours to as long as two months. A trailer being converted might stay in storage for eight to ten weeks.

Some companies have been seeing less use of their storage facilities – which can be a good sign.

“The storage was great until about six weeks ago, when everybody was busy, having their units on rentals or on sites,” says Taylor. “I’ve never had an empty lot since I’ve been here, until about three weeks ago. That’s a great sign for my customers. That means everything is working and my customers are doing business.”

Where the industry will travel next
Technology is always improving inside mobile imaging units, and the trailers themselves get modern updates, too.

“We’re looking at putting tracking software on our tractors so we can know where they are at any given moment,” says Rawlings. “And all of our customers are now putting tracking software on their equipment that tells them whether the system is running or not.”

While fuel prices are down at the moment, fluctuations are always taken into account, companies say. The unpredictably of fuel costs and of upcoming changes from health care reform may have slowed down some transport businesses, but over in the mobile service industry, need continues to grow for interim service and mobile routes in rural areas. That means someone will need to be around to drive those trailers to their destinations, near and far.

“When I got into the mobile trailer transportation business in 1985, I said to myself, how long can this last? Well, here we are 2012 and we’re still doing it,” says Kelly of Kelly Mobile Services. “When something new and great comes out, there’s always a flood to get it into the mobile. I think mobiles are here to stay.”

DOTmed Registered DMBN December 2012 Mobile Trailer Transportation Companies

December 2012 Magazine

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