A Century on the Beam
For Immediate Release
For more information contact:
Dustin Lancy
Hendrickson
(330) 489-0050
[email protected]
Hendrickson Celebrates 100 Years of Walking Beam Suspension Technology
How a proven equalizing beam concept continues to deliver traction, load control, and ride quality for severe‑duty vocational fleets
Hendrickson, a global leader in reliable ride solutions for the commercial transportation industry, is marking the 100th anniversary of its patented walking beam suspension design, celebrating a century of proven performance built on a foundational equalizing beam concept that continues to serve severe‑duty vocational fleets. Introduced in 1926, Hendrickson’s walking beam architecture has remained in continuous use for a century wherever trucks must carry significant weight across uneven terrain.
Hendrickson traces its walking beam technology to the original suspension design developed by company founder Magnus Hendrickson in 1926 and has continued to refine that equalizing beam concept across several modern configurations. The RT™ suspension remains closest to the original architecture, while HAULMAAX® EX and ULTIMAAX® apply elastomer and progressive spring technologies to support on‑ and off‑highway vocational applications ranging from refuse and concrete to mining and oil field work.
Modern vocational vehicles require stability and off‑road mobility while also managing driver comfort, vehicle weight, and the protection of increasingly sensitive hydraulic, electronic, and body equipment from continuous vibration. Hendrickson has evolved its walking beam‑based suspensions around these needs, incorporating fabricated structures and higher strength steels to reduce weight and accommodate different beam lengths, capacities, and vehicle configurations. Spring technology has advanced alongside the beam, with elastomer load springs and progressive designs tuned to deliver a smoother, more controlled ride while preserving the stability demanded in severe‑duty environments.
Walking Beam: Practical Advantages for Vocational Fleets
Built around the equalizing beam, Hendrickson’s walking beam‑based suspensions convert that core design into real‑world benefits for vocational fleets:- Traction and load equalization across uneven terrain as axles articulate, helping maintain tire contact and share loads between axles.
- Ride and vibration control, as modern rubber and progressive springs screen out road inputs that would otherwise reach the cab, body, and mounted equipment.
- Payload and weight efficiency, with lighter fabricated components contributing to additional payload in weight‑sensitive applications such as refuse, concrete, and aggregate hauling.
- Application‑specific configurability through different spring types and suspension layouts tailored to load capacity, terrain, chassis packaging, and maintenance priorities.
After 100 years, the walking beam no longer represents a single fixed design but an engineering foundation that continues to be adapted to new materials, powertrain options, and operating demands. As vocational trucks evolve and fleets focus more closely on total cost of ownership, Hendrickson’s walking beam‑based suspensions remain centered on matching the suspension to the work the vehicle performs and ensuring that components around the beam are designed, validated, and supported to perform dependably over the long term.
ABOUT HENDRICKSON
Hendrickson, a Boler company, is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of medium- and heavy‑duty mechanical, elastomeric, and air suspensions; integrated and non‑integrated axle and brake systems; tire pressure control systems; auxiliary lift axle systems; parabolic and multi‑leaf springs; stabilizers; bumpers; and other components for the global commercial transportation industry. Based in Woodridge, IL, USA, Hendrickson has served the transportation industry for more than 100 years. Visit www.hendrickson-intl.com.
