LOUISVILLE, KY – Great Dane Trailers made history again today with the introduction of ThermoGuard, a revolutionary new refrigerated trailer insulation that will substantially extend the useful life and value of reefers. ThermoGuard is one of two ground-breaking new products launched by the company at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.
Designed and engineered by Great Dane, ThermoGuard is a glass-reinforced, thermoplastic liner available exclusively on all of the company’s refrigerated trailers. This strong yet lightweight lining is superior to traditional liners because it helps maintain the thermal efficiency of the trailer.
“The benefits of ThermoGuard lining are remarkable!” said Phill Pines, chief operating officer of Great Dane Trailers. “The development of this innovative material is a huge, huge, breakthrough. Refrigerated carriers now have the option to purchase a trailer that will operate more efficiently year after year, mile after mile.”
As a refrigerated trailer ages, the effectiveness of its insulation system continually decreases. Traditional liners do not completely seal the insulation and allow “out gassing” effects that cause the foam insulation to degrade over time. ThermoGuard contains an innovative composite layer that seals the trailer’s insulation and significantly reduces this traditional loss in insulation performance.
“Reefer owners have always been in a race against time to get the most usefulness out of their trailers before the insulation got too old,” Pines said. “Until now, the only way to compensate for the decreasing insulation performance has been to make sure the cooling unit had enough excess capacity to maintain temperatures over the course of time. But not anymore. ThermoGuard just changed the rules.” A refrigerated trailer lined with ThermoGuard dramatically slows down the loss in insulation performance, extending the useful life and increasing the value of the trailer.
But not anymore.
“When installed as original equipment, ThermoGuard helps trailers continue to insulate efficiently as they get older, allowing better fleet utilization with more options for specific temperature-controlled hauls,” Pines said.
ThermoGuard’s unique construction offers numerous benefits in addition to the reduction in foam degradation.
A reduction in operational costs will be realized through decreased cooling unit run-time due to less fuel consumption, less maintenance and extended life of the unit. Extended productivity and longer useful lifecycles are also obtained as ThermoGuard assists in the insulation performance of a trailer as it ages.
In addition, ThermoGuard offers strength, durability and extreme puncture resistance in a lightweight package, saving up to 200 pounds. The building block of ThermoGuard is Great Dane’s PunctureGuard, a product exclusive to Great Dane that is available as a scuffband and a liner and features extreme puncture resistance in a lightweight package.
With its smooth, uniform surface, ThermoGuard also helps to maintain an attractive appearance on the interior walls year after year.
“The value of a refrigerated trailer is contingent on its thermal performance. It is imperative that a reefer operates efficiently not only today, but also for the life of the trailer,” said Chris Adkins, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Great Dane Trailers. “Great Dane’s introduction of ThermoGuard has revolutionized the refrigerated trailer by dramatically reducing foam aging, and consequently creating a longer lifecycle and a higher resale value. ThermoGuard helps to keep a refrigerated trailer on the road and generating revenue by maintaining excess cooling unit capacity, decreasing unit maintenance downtime and expanding its productivity.”
ThermoGuard is available as an option on all Great Dane refrigerated trailer models.
Great Dane Trailers, a manufacturer of dry van, refrigerated and platform trailers, has long been regarded as the industry leader in technology, innovation and quality. The company has headquarters in Savannah, Ga., and Chicago, Ill., with 10 manufacturing plants in the United States. Four of the manufacturing facilities have received ISO 9001:2000 certification, including Brazil and Terre Haute, Ind.; Wayne, Neb.; and Savannah, Ga. With distribution points across North and South America, Great Dane utilizes a network of company-owned branches and full-line independent dealers as well as parts-only independent dealers. Great Dane can be accessed on-line at www.greatdanetrailers.com.
