Angelim Pedra VS Apitong: Which Flooring Material Is Right For You? [INFOGRAPHIC]

For years, Asian Apitong has been the standard hardwood choice for trailer flooring and truck bed applications. More recently, another hardwood species has made an impact on the trailer flooring world: Angelim Pedra. Both are great options for industrial uses such as trailer flooring, but which is the right choice for you?

The following infographic compares the two species by four important metrics; hardness, strength, stiffness, and density. We hope this helps shed some light on the issue and gives you the information you need to decide which is best for you. Enjoy!

As you can see, both varieties have their pros and cons. Angelim Pedra beats Apitong in both hardness and density, while Apitong is the clear choice in terms of strength and stiffness. Both are superior trailer flooring products, so the choice is often a matter of personal preference. Which do you prefer? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Top 3 Lumber Choices for Trailer Flooring

Not every hardwood species or variety of species is appropriate for trailer flooring applications. Some species are too soft. Others are too susceptible to inclement weather. Here at TrailerDecking, we get a lot of questions about what are the best lumber choices for trailer decks and beds, so we decided to compile a list of our favorite species and varieties. These choices represent the strongest and longest-lasting trailer flooring options on the market. Enjoy!

Apitong Truck Flooring
Apitong is our most popular truck flooring product, and for good reason. It is incredibly strong (10,500 psi) and has a hardness rating of 1,270 lbs. While it is not naturally very resistant to wood boring insects or inclement weather, it works great with an application of high-quality sealant. It is also a great trailer flooring choice for dry climates or covered beds.

Angelim Pedra Truck Flooring
Considered one of the most durable truck flooring options, Angelim Pedra has a hardness rating of 1,720 lbs and a strength of 8,990 psi. What it lacks in superior strength it more than makes up for in stability and durability. Angelim Pedra truck flooring is one of the most stable hardwood options you can pick, second only to Purpleheart, meaning it is much less likely to warp and buckle over time. It is also rated very resistant to both white-rot and brown-rot fungus, making it a great choice for more humid climates.

Laminated Truck Flooring
Laminated truck flooring isn't exactly a specific species, obviously, but it is still one of the most popular options on the market today. Laminated truck flooring, or LTF, is used strictly in dry van trailers as it can't withstand exterior exposure. This frees up manufacturers to use softer woods that wouldn't otherwise be appropriate for trailer flooring applications, such as Red Oak and mixed light hardwoods from Southeast Asia.

Have questions about which trailer flooring choice is right for you? Contact TrailerDecking.com today to speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives. We'd be happy to help!

Caring for Your Apitong Deck, Part 3: Regular Maintenance Tips

Welcome to the third and final installment of our ongoing blog series, Caring for Your Apitong Deck. As you'll recall, our first two installments covered environmental dangers to your deck and picking the right finish for your deck, respectively. This week we'll take a look at five regular maintenance tips you can follow to keep your trailer flooring functional and look good. Enjoy!

1. Clean!
This is an important but often overlooked step in regular trailer flooring maintenance. You may not think that cleaning your truck or trailer flooring is important - it's a work truck, after all! You're not trying to win any beauty contests! - but the reality is that dirt, dust, mold, and mildew can cause unnecessary wear and rot on even the toughest decks. Sweeping and washing on occasion can really help extend the life of your trailer flooring.

2. Fix popped nails.
They're not only bad for the boards, they're hazardous to you and your work crew as well. Look out for popped nails whenever you're loading, unloading, or cleaning, and replace them when you find them.

3. Replace busted boards.
The great thing about hardwood trailer flooring is that when a board warps, rots, or breaks, most of the time you can replace it without having to tear out and replace the entire bed. If you are a fairly competent DIYer, removing and replacing a board or two in your trailer flooring shouldn't be a problem.

4. Refinish.
If your trailer flooring is still structurally stable but is looking a little worse-for-wear, it might be time to refinish it. This may seem like a purely aesthetic maintenance step, and it mostly is. However, even the best hardwood finish loses its protective qualities over time. Refinishing regularly will help protect the wood from the elements and extend the life of your trailer flooring.

5. Replace.
Hardwood trailer flooring is a natural material, and despite your best maintenance attempts, it will degenerate over time. If the majority of your boards are warped, bent, and busted, it's probably a good idea to replace the entire deck. Call the professionals at TrailerDecking today to discuss your options when replacing your entire deck.

We hope you've enjoyed reading this blog series as much as we've enjoyed presenting it to you! Stay tuned to the TrailerDecking blog for more helpful trailer flooring tips and information!

Caring for Your Apitong Deck, Part 2: Picking the Right Finish

Welcome to part two in our three-part exclusive blog series, Caring for Your Apitong Deck. As you'll recall, the last installment discussed the environmental dangers your Apitong trailer decking can face in the course of its lifetime. This week we'll be taking a look at the different types of finishes you can apply that will help protect your trailer decking from those dangers. Enjoy!

Many trailer owners skip finish applications because they think the cost is too high. While the finish cost and the cost of labor to apply it to your flatbed deck may seem steep at first, it is modest when compared to the potential damage and degradation your deck can face from the elements. Efficient finish applications usually take no longer than an hour or so and require just a few gallons of deck treatment. Again, it may seem like an annoying add-on, but the benefits far outweigh the costs.

In order to avoid damage caused by the elements, there are two basic types of deck treatments to consider: 1.) a semi-transparent oil stain, or; 2.) a water-repellent preservative.

Oil stains are the treatment option most often preferred by hardwood industry professionals. The finish soaks deep into the wood surface and provides an attractive even color while still allowing the natural grain to show through. If you're looking for a protective finish that will feature your deck's natural beauty, oil stains are the right choice.

If you decide on an oil stain you will be faced with another decision - the type. There are two common types of oil stains: 1.) natural oils like linseed oil, and; 2.) more expensive synthetic oils. Both oils do an excellent job of sealing and preserving the wood and they both produce a beautiful deck.

Natural oil stains have a tendency to support mildew and discoloration, so if you live in an area with moderate to severe humidity and rain you may want to think twice about this choosing this type of finish. The better natural oil stains contain mildewcides (or they can be added), but black mildew can reappear in a year or so so regular applications may be necessary. Synthetic oil stains, on the other hand, are specially formulated and eliminate the problem of black mildew.

That brings us to the second option you have when choosing a deck finish: water-repellant preservatives. Clear water repellent preservatives are often made of a wax- or a silicon-base. This base seals the wood but doesn't soak as deeply into the wood. The water repellant preservatives are often less expensive (about half the cost of good quality oil stains) but they need to be reapplied every year. If you decide on a silicon- or wax-based preservative, check the label to make sure it contains not only water repellents but also mildewcides and UV blockers.

Still unsure what kind of finish to use? Contact the professionals at TrailerDecking.com today to discuss your options. And don't forget to tune in next week when we'll conclude the series with "Caring for Your Apitong Deck, Part 3: Regular Maintenance". Till then!

Caring for Your Apitong Deck, Part 1: Environmental Dangers

Unless you leave your truck in the garage 24/7, your flatbed trailer will naturally be exposed to the elements. This exposure can cause major damage to your hardwood trailer decking material. In this series, we'll take a look at the different environmental dangers facing your Apitong wood trailer, the best ways to prevent exposure-related problems, and what to do if damage occurs. Today we'll be focusing on the different ways changes in temperature, humidity, and air quality can harm your trailer boards.

Moisture and Humidity
Wood is a hygroscopic material, which means it naturally takes on and gives off water to adjust to its surrounding environment. Wood shrinks and swells when it lose or gains moisture below its fiber saturation point. This natural behavior is responsible for some of the problems encountered when wood dries. For example, cracks and checks can result from stresses induced in a piece of wood that is drying. As the piece dries, it develops a moisture gradient across its section (more dry on the outside, more wet on the inside). The dry outer shell wants to shrink as it dries below fiber saturation; however, the wetter core constrains the shell, which can cause small cracks called “surface checking” or “season checking” to form on the surface.

Temperature Changes
Moisture isn't the only enemy of Apitong trailer decking; high temperatures can also potentially damage your floors. Damage of this nature typically takes the form of shrinkage to the face of the decking. The result is abnormally large spacing between boards. This can also sometimes be accompanied by concave cupping of the deck boards.

Sunlight

Much like your own skin, excessive exposure to the sun can cause major damage to the cellular structure of Apitong trailer decking. UV rays break down the materials that hold the wood fibers together. You have seen how UV rays can destroy your deck chairs and cushions – the same holds true for your Apitong floors!

Keep in mind that wood is a product of nature and, as such, will acclimate to its surrounding environment. Even properly seasoned decking can change dimensions after installation given the right conditions. It is important to understand that excessive seasonal swings during summer and winter will take their toll on decking.

Tune in next week when we'll be taking a look at a few of the ways you can prevent exposure damage by applying the right finish. If you can't wait a week, give us a call at 1-855-APITONG; we'd be glad to answer your questions!

Welcome to the Official TrailerDecking.com Blog!

Welcome to the brand new TrailerDecking.com Blog, your source for news and information about the trailer and truck decking and flooring industry.

At TrailerDecking.com, we strive to keep our customer’s wheels turning and their businesses running strong. The vision of TrailerDecking.com is to be the customer's first choice for Apitong flooring and related trailer and truck products. We meet the needs of our customers by offering a value package that includes an assortment of innovative products and a high level of personal service.

At TrailerDecking.com, our goal is to be the toughest, strongest, and smartest Apitong flooring provider in the country. Here's how we do it:

Tough
We bring the unmatched and time-tested advantages of Apitong products to truck trailers, bodies and related equipment. By providing physical and mechanical properties not found in other wood species, Apitong provides the value, durability and reliability that so many of our customers demand.

Smart
We set up TrailerDecking.com on the premise that our customers didn't want to pay any unnecessary mark-ups to brokers and wholesalers who don't add value to the transaction. We buy all our material directly from the manufacturers overseas, we inspect it ourselves, and we don't use brokers or wholesalers to get the job done.

Strong
Led by our dedicated customer sales and service team, Trailerdecking.com is the only company that offers you a complete one-stop solution for all your Apitong wood product needs. With a diverse product offering, multiple locations throughout the country, and quick order turnaround times, we back our customers with our strong network of service and support to fill each customer’s specific needs.

Contact TrailerDecking.com now to discover all the benefits of Apitong products and see how Trailerdecking.com can work for your business.

Recent Market Price Trend in Apitong Trailer Decking

The Triumphant Return of Apitong

After a recent surge in the popularity of a variety of South American species such as Angelim Pedra / Para Angelim and Purpleheart as cheap and readily available material for use in a variety of applications for the the truck trailer market, it appears that Apitong is again poised to make its triumphant return to the dominant position in the trailer market!

With the commodity boom of the past five years, the Brazilian currency, the Real, has strengthened substantially against the US dollar. The dollar, compared to Brazilian currency, has almost halved in value since 2004. Meanwhile, the Euro's continued surge against the dollar has allowed European buyers to have increased purchasing power and has also coincided with the European market's fuller embrace of the use of South American tropical hardwoods. Today we are seeing more and more South American product going to Europe -and to Japan, China and elsewhere - and less being sold to North America.

The chart below clearly shows the the devaluation of the US Dollar vs. the Brazilian Real over the past 12 months.

At the same time as prices have been escalating on products from South America, we have also seen diminished available supply. Major producing nations such as Brazil, Peru and Bolivia have sharply reduced government approval for new timber extraction projects. Furthermore, a major national crackdown on forest management practices of privately held lands in Brazil (coincidentally the largest exporter of Tropical Hardwood Products in South America) has frozen a large portion of forested land that was previously approved for logging.

Faced with the above situation, many are beginning to again examine the value offered by the recent upstarts Parangelim and Purpleheart. Prices have increased dramatically and supply is now extremely tight and unreliable. In light of the circumstances, many experienced and globally savvy buyers are again returning to the value and reliability of Apitong.

Over the last decade, Apitong supply and pricing has remained extremely stable. This has much to do both with currency exchange issues and forest management practices in the main producer countries of Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Malaysian currency, the Ringgit has remained relatively stable over the last 10 years. Two economic downturns in the past six years have severely dented gross fixed investment. The reduction has been caused by lower foreign direct investment (FDI) and lower private domestic investment. Fearing that a sustained level of lower investment will eventually lead to slower economic growth, the Malaysian government introduced measures to stimulate private domestic investment in the 2003 budget.

Because the Ringgit had been strong in the past, ordinary market intervention by the Malaysian Central Bank was limited to smoothing fluctuations. Today however, the Malaysian Central Bank is much more concerned to hold the exchange rates down (and thus promote both exports and foreign direct investment) rather than to support the local currency.

Since the US Dollar vs. Malaysian Ringgit has remained extremely stable during the past several years, pricing for Apitong has also remained relatively unchanged and has reacted primarily in relation only to more basic seasonal supply and demand factors. See chart below:

On the supply side in both Malaysia and Indonesia, buyers have found a suitable measure of reliability and responsibility in the areas of tropical forest management and resource-based economic development. Tropical forests in both countries are essentially public lands, managed and protected by their respective Federal and State Governments.

Forest Certification programs have emerged in both Malaysia (through the FSC and the MTCC) and Indonesia (through the FSC and LEI). Certification is very much market driven and is serving as a tool towards promoting legal, reliable and sustainable forest management. Certification is seen as a step toward ensuring the production of a continuous flow of desired forest products and services from the forest reserves. Further, certification is being actively pursued to ensure continued market access of Malaysian and Indonesian timber products, particularly in an increasingly environmentally sensitive market.

With the governments and policy makers in Malaysia and Indonesia having made the decision to promote a more stable currency policy and with the added impetus of emerging Forest Certification Schemes offering a legal, reliable and sustainable supply situation, we feel that Apitong has again made its triumphant return to the dominant position in the trailer market!

We at Nova USA Wood Products and TrailerDecking.com offer a wide variety of Apitong products for the trailer and truck body industry. We purchase only the best materials from reputable mills that place an emphasis on quality and delivery. We are also one of the few suppliers who have overseas inspectors in place to ensure that material is thoroughly checked before it departs the mill. This final inspection ensures that you get exactly what you ordered each and every time. We certify all of our trailer decking products and warranty them against defects in workmanship. Contact us for a quote today.