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New Wabash trailers at its Lafayette, Ind., factory. Wabash’s trailers-as-a-service business currently has around 1,000 trailers, but as many as 4,000 trailers may be available by the end of 2025. (Wabash)

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Trailer manufacturer Wabash intends to expand the size of its trailers-as-a-service fleet by as much as a factor of four by the end of 2025, an executive told Transport Topics.

Wabash’s TaaS business currently has around 1,000 trailers, but as many as 4,000 trailers may be available by the end of 2025, Brion St. Amour, senior commercial director of Wabash Marketplace, told TT.

“We are growing our fleet as a result of where we see the market in two or three years’ time,” St. Amour said on the sidelines of ’ Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition.

Analysts and carrier executives have been expecting the weak freight market environment to take a turn for the better in the second half of 2025 and into 2026 for some time, although uncertainty over that timeline increased in recent days with the introduction and threat of recent Trump administration tariffs.

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“We’re anticipating a turn in the market,” onetime attorney St. Amour said. “We’re seeing the green shoots.”

“We are building to our forecast,” St. Amour said. “As the market starts to turn, it’s an interesting time, where trailer-as-a-service can add capacity without a long-term commitment.”

TaaS is an alternative to leasing or buying a trailer for asset light third-party logistics providers.

3PLs are participating more in requests for proposals that rely on drop trailer capacity, St. Amour said, adding: “We’re bullish on these parts of the market turning.”

Large motor carriers typically are the biggest providers of trailers in this segment of the market.

In this freight environment, motor carriers are offering trailers as a drop trailer because of slack demand, but a tighter market may see those trailers withdrawn, St. Amour said.

“This is really the ability to connect all of the pieces of what we do,” he said. “It’s about getting to the concept of capacity on demand.”

Launched in July 2022, the Wabash TaaS product allows customers to obtain flexible terms, unlimited mileage, insurance and loaners during downtime, plus maintenance and telematics are included in the price.

Among Wabash’s existing customers are FreightVana and Kodiak Robotics.

St. Amour said a recent Wabash acquisition has enhanced the TaaS product, addressing a hot-button topic.

Wabash on Feb. 13 acquired cargo security specialist TrailerHawk.ai for an undisclosed sum. TrailerHawk provides smart access management and a verified asset chain of custody.

“By integrating TrailerHawk.ai’s technology into our TaaS program, we’re offering logistics providers a unique advantage — superior cargo security, real-time visibility and data-driven insights that help protect assets and streamline operations,” Mike Pettit, Wabash chief growth officer, said when the deal was announced.

“This acquisition underscores our commitment to delivering customer-focused solutions that address today’s most pressing logistics challenges,” he added.

Cargo theft reached record levels in 2024.