One of my roles at U-Haul International was serving as the editor of U-Haul World, a newsletter created for the Government Relations department. The newsletter is distributed to government agencies in the transportation industry across the United States and Canada. The article below is one of the feature articles I wrote.
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READ THE COPY
HEADLINE: New U-Haul Sport Trailer Hits the Road
SUBHEAD: Keep your eyes open for sporty trailers just like this one, on highways near you this summer.
COPY:
The U-Haul Sport Trailer with its eye-catching, aerodynamic shape and attractive flag graphics, is the newest member of the U-Haul International fleet. The compact, streamlined rental trailer is designed to be safely pulled behind any vehicle and will not hinder the performance of even the smallest compact car.
“Until now, the small-car or sports-car owner wouldn’t or couldn’t consider towing a trailer, so they were limited as to how much they were limited as to how much they could carry,” said U-Haul Executive Vice President, Harry DeShong. “The U-Haul Sport Trailer solves that problem with it’s ample cargo capacity. Customers who drive small cars can now carry more than the proverbial tennis racket and toothbrush.”
While the sleek, modern design and small size of the trailer breaks away from the traditional U-Haul image, its high caliber of performance and stability remain consistent with strict U-Haul standards. To test the safety and durability of the trailer, U-Haul conducted a high-speed test at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats last September. The trailer was towed by a modified 1927 Ford roadster driven by Ron Hope, professional race car driver and vice president of Adesa Auctions Corporation. Not only did the high-speed test successfully demonstrate the U-Haul Sport Trailer’s stability, but it also set a world record for a vehicle pulling a trailer: 141.096 miles per hour!
“Our driver told us it was completely under control during every run he made, DeShong stated proudly. “When I asked Hope how it went, h replied, ‘It pulled like a dream. I didn’t even know the trailer was there.’” In fact, this towing ease will enable U-Haul customers to turn their sports car into a sports utility vehicle.
Both Hope and DeShong agreed that by towing the U-Haul Sport Trailer at such a high speed, they had demonstrated the trailer will be safe and stable, far beyond any normal, or if necessary, even abnormal driving conditions.
And surprisingly, with the car/trailer combination, an improvement in vehicle performance was detected. “The low-profile trailer actually smooths out slipstream winds that eddy and swirl behind a vehicle in motion,” DeShong said. If left unmanaged, these winds create additional drag. The shape of the U-Haul Sport Trailer helps direct a car’s airflow rearwind into a clean, efficient wake. This ‘tidying-up’ improves mileage, which, in turn, can lower the customer’s fuel costs.”
When compared with the existing U-Haul fleet, the Sport Trailer clearly has its own identity. While you won’t typically this trailer moving furniture and large household items to a new home, it is ideal for moving college students to and from their dormitories. And, family vacationers across North America will soon be found backing it with all sorts of essentials for their next outing.
Although the trailer looks compact on the outside, customers are always amazed when they open it and see how much room is inside. So whether it’s a camping trip, skiing trip, or just a road trip to grandma’s, the U-Haul Sport trailer is the perfect companion.
Shannon Hoskins: Copywriting. Editing. Marketing. 