“We have some of the newest equipment the industry has to offer,” says Paul Will, vice chairman, president and COO of Celadon Group, Inc. “We want our customers to be able to count on us, and to provide a high level of reliability and dependability we have counted on Great Dane since the early 1990s.”

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Celadon fields 3,000 tractors and 8,500 trailers. By the end of June 2012, the fleet will include 3,200 new Great Dane dry vans purchased over an 18-month period. “Due to interest rates and financing available, we have been on an aggressive replacement cycle,” Will relates. “In the past year we have replaced two-thirds of our trailer fleet, and we have concluded that Great Dane builds one of the best trailers on the road.”

In 2004, Celadon began specifying composite plate trailers for its operation. “We haul high cube freight so our shippers appreciate the capacity of The Composite and now Champion CP models we have been buying for a number of years,” Will says. “With Great Dane we get high cube, reliable and durable trailers, and a brand name that helps bring in one of the highest resale value.”

Brand name recognition is especially important to Celadon, which sells many of its used trailers directly to fleets at company locations in Indianapolis and Dallas. Wholesalers and the Great Dane branch and dealer network are also used to dispose of trailers being taken out of service. “With Great Dane, whether it’s to trade in used trailers or to handle repairs, we always find people who know what it takes to meet our needs,” Will states.

The newest Great Danes joining the Celadon fleet in 2012 are 53-ft Champion CP models. The composite plate trailers built at the Terre Haute, Indiana plant feature .30-inch composite plate sidewalls with .019-inch galvanized steel skins. The fleet also specifies .50-inch composite rear swing doors with galvanized steel cover sheets.

Close attention is paid by Celadon to the interior of its trailers. Its newest Champion CP models are specified with two rows of extruded aluminum scuffband on sidewalls, including a 6-inch high row integrated with the bottom rail at floor level that is topped with a 12- inch high row. Front wall scuffbands in the trailers are 12-inch carbon steel welded to the coupler. On ceilings, the rear eight feet of the trailers are lined with Great Dane’s exclusive PunctureGuard lining. The .070-inch lining, known for its strength that comes from its high glass content, was found to be one-fourth to one-third stronger than competitive products.

Celadon’s Champion CP dry vans are also fitted with Hendrickson HKANT40K-HD sliding tandem axles with air suspensions and STEMCO Platinum Performance System Plus wheel end systems, an offering exclusive to Great Dane that combines the manufacturer’s Guardian HP or Discover seals, Pro-Torq axle spindle nuts, Sentinel hubcaps and heavy-duty bearings.

Landing gear on the trailers is supplied by Jost and all dry vans are fitted with Bridgestone R195F tires and Grote LED lamps including MicroNova mini LEDS in the rear header. The aerodynamic lamps have a half- inch profile, which makes them less susceptible to damage, and are designed to fit using only a three- quarter-inch mounting hole.

In keeping with its commitment to the SmartWay Transport Partnership, the collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry to increase fuel efficiency while reduc- ing air pollution, Celadon is equipping all new trail- ers with Transtex Composite trailer skirts. “Great Dane has been installing the side fairings at the plant since the end of 2010,” Will relates. “On trailers with the skirts we’ve seen from three to five percent better fuel economy than older units without them.”

Celadon’s entire tractor fleet also consists of SmartWay-certified models. Other fuel saving measures employed by the carrier include recalibrating engines to produce less NOx at idle, reducing the weight of equipment with a variety of aluminum components, and employing a smaller trailer to tractor gap to minimize aerodynamic drag.

Founded in 1985, Celadon has grown from 50 tractors and 100 trailers. Today, the carrier serves customers throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada, generating annual revenue in excess of $500 million. Celadon offers long haul and dedicated truckload service and with approximately 150,000 annual border crossings, the company is believed to be the largest provider of international truck- load movements in North America.

Recently, when Great Dane’s manufacturing facility in Terre Haute, Indiana completed its 100,000th trailer; the new Champion CP dry van was delivered to Celadon. “We consider ourselves very fortunate to have such a solid, longstanding partnership with Great Dane,” Will says. “Our relationship is made even more special with the 100,000th Great Dane trailer being built in our home state where we have made a commitment to support and grow the economy.”
“We strive to transport cargo using only the most efficient and reliable equipment available,” Will concludes. “The quality of our trailers helps us achieve that goal. Great Dane is a vital part of our mission to provide top quality equipment to our customers.”

“We’ve operated Great Dane reefers exclusively for more than 15 years,” says Tim Anderson. “We switched our fleet to
Great Dane Super Seal trailers when our local dealer began representing the manufacturer and we have not looked back. Our customers rely on us to deliver temperature-sensitive shipments in an efficient and timely manner and with Great Dane we know we can meet their needs.”

Headquartered in Brandon, South Dakota, A & A Express specializes in nationwide, refrigerated hauling of fresh produce, meat and frozen foods, as well as dry goods. Founded in Walnut Grove, Minnesota in 1945 as Vince Anderson Trucking, Inc., the company was originally a livestock hauler. In the late 1970s, as demand for its highly efficient service grew, the company expanded into refrigerated trucking and A & A Express, Inc. was born. Today, Larry Anderson and Tim Anderson, son and grandson of the late founder, operate the business.

A & A opts for the STEMCO Platinum Performance System Plus wheel end system, an offering exclusive to Great Dane. The integrated solution combines components from the manufacturer’s line of wheel end products including Guardian HP or Discover seals in hub or a spindle mount configurations, Pro-Torq axle spindle nuts, Sentinel hubcaps and heavy-duty bearings.

Two specifications on A & A Express trailers are keeping costs down. The Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS) keeps tires inflated properly, helping ensure longer tread life, fewer breakdowns and improved fuel efficiency. The carrier also specs MTIS with ThermALERT, a high-temperature protection solution.

The Grote LongLife Light System with LED lights is standard on all A & A Express reefers. The completely sealed system is designed to help prevent damaging moisture intrusion. The modular and maintenance-free system combines a custom wiring solu- tion with the durability, reliability and simplicity of a fully sealed harness.

Grote MicroNova upper front, rear side marker and header lamps are also on A & A Express reefers. The aerodynamic LED clearance marker lamps are designed to fit in the narrow top rail of the trailer using only a three-quarter inch mounting hole. The low half-inch profile of the lamps also makes them less susceptible to damage.

Preventing damage is something that A & A Express focuses on every day. “Whether our customers are shipping frozen, deep-frozen, refrigerated products or produce, or confectionary or baked goods, A & A Express promises to delivers temperature-sensitive shipments in an efficient and timely manner,” Anderson says.

“Our trailers are designed to properly cool and refrigerate shipments to minimize or eliminate product loss,” Anderson adds. “A & A Express is a premier refrigerated transport company featuring a state-of-the-art fleet of superior Great Dane reefers.”

A & A Express fields 120 company-owned tractors and uses the services of about 60 dedicated owner-operators to haul its 210 Great Dane Super Seal refrigerated trailers. Replaced every three-and-a-half to four years, the reefers are built in the Wayne, Nebraska manufacturing plant.

“We put a lot of hours on our refrigeration units so we find it cost effective to replace trailers on a shorter trade cycle than most refrig- erated trucking companies,” Anderson explains. “We have no issues with the Great Dane reefers. In fact, selling relatively new trailers of such high quality and integrity means we get top resale value for our trade-ins.”

The Great Dane Super Seal reefers now in service at A & A Express will soon be joined by 60 new Everest SS models scheduled for delivery between April and July of this year. The 53-ft trailers will be equipped with Carrier Transicold refrigeration units and have aluminum duct floors with composite sills, along with stainless rear frames and bumpers, and swing doors with a bright finish stainless steel exterior.

Inside its reefers A & A Express specifies Great Dane’s unique PunctureGuard lining for its strength and lightweight attributes. With an inherent stiffness that comes from its high glass content, PunctureGuard helps ensure that force from pallets, cargo or forklifts during loading and unloading operations does not damage the foam insulation in the trailer walls, causing it to lose thermal integrity.

PunctureGuard, which is incredibly thin and considerably lighter than plywood and FRP linings was found to be one fourth to one third stronger than competitive products in comprehensive tests. The lining is also easy to repair, lowering maintenance costs, and is easy to clean, making it simpler to maintain the trailer’s appearance.

Also helping save weight on A & A Express reefers are aluminum hat type crossmembers forward of the landing gear and aluminum I-Beams in the bay area. Running gear on the trailers includes sliding tandem axles with Meritor RideSentry air suspensions and 295/75R22.5 Bridgestone R195F tires on aluminum wheels. Meritor Q Plus service brakes and Meritor WABCO Easy Stop ABS are standard as well.

“We have not had a single problem with any of the Great Dane Classic reefers we’ve purchased in the past eight years,” says Paul Spencer, fleet maintenance manager at Byrne Dairy. “These trailers are proving to be a very worthwhile long-term investment.”
Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, Byrne Dairy now fields 50 Great Dane Classic reefers. Since 2004, the company has been replacing other trailers in its fleet exclusively with Great Dane 35 ft and 48 ft models.

“We turned to Great Dane to address a number of structural issues we were having with our refrigerated trailers,” Spencer states. “We needed an OEM that would build equipment to our specifications, and that offered a trailer that would meet our needs for durability and reliability. We found those attributes in Great Dane.”

Byrne Dairy’s latest order of 48 ft by 96-inch Great Dane Classic reefers calls for several specifications that are now standards for the fleet. Included are extra crossmembers over the landing gear and a unique specification for a reinforced bottom rail under the two curbside 40-inch doors on each trailer.

This spec, Spencer explains, provides the protection needed when trucks are backed up to the trailer side doors so pallets, carts and crates can be transferred between vehicles. “During this transfer operation,” he adds, “it was too easy to accidentally damage the trailer with the truck’s rear bumper. Great Dane was willing to provide this reinforcement for protection, along with side door steps and grab handles.”

Bryne Dairy’s Great Dane Classic reefers also feature stainless steel rear door frames and Whiting Coldsaver III roll-up doors with stainless steel interior and exterior hardware. All lights on the trailers are LED lamps and have the Grote Long Life Light System, plus three interior dome lights. Inside its trailers, the fleet specs a heavy-duty textured aluminum floor and a 16-inch high extruded aluminum scuffband. The latest trailers are equipped with Carrier refrigeration units.

Byrne Dairy trailers are specified with SAF Holland Mark V landing gear and an air operated Premier pintle hook for doubles operations. The trailers ride on Hendrickson 40,000-lb capacity sliding tandem axles with air suspensions.

Standard specs on the trailers also call for Conmet aluminum hubs and TruTurn outboard cast drums, Meritor PSI automatic tire monitoring and inflation systems, and Accuride aluminum disc wheels.

Byrne Dairy invests as heavily in its trailers as it does in its business. The company’s state-of-the-art 40,000sq ft Ultra Dairy manufacturing facility in Dewitt, New York, which can hold 50,000 gallons of raw milk, is one of the country’s most advanced ultra pasteurized plants. In 2008, the company invested $28 million to expand its Ultra Dairy production as well as its technological capabilities.

A third-generation, family-owned business, Byrne Dairy was founded in 1933. Its first milk products were delivered to homes and stores by horse-drawn wagons. In 1941, it began using motorized vehicles. Today, its fleet hauls tens of millions of gallons of milk, cream and ice cream annually, distributing its perishable products along the entire eastern seaboard and delivering longer-life dairy and non-dairy products to all states east of the Mississippi River.

Byrne Dairy products are carried by one of the industry’s most capable and safest teams of drivers. At the New York State Truck Driving Championships, which includes a written knowledge test, a pre-trip inspection competition and a skills road course, three Byrne Dairy drivers placed in the top three spots in their respective vehicle classes. In addition, for a sixth year in a row, Byrne Dairy was recognized by the New York State Motor Truck Association as one of the safest fleets in the state. Its most recent first place award in the Large Metro Class for outstanding highway safety was the result of traveling more than 6.7 million miles without a recordable accident.

In all respects, Byrne Dairy is a forward-think- ing company. From its manufacturing technology to the trailers that deliver its products, only the best long term investments are adopted. “That’s why we’re phasing Great Dane reefers into our operation,” Paul Spencer says, “and plan to do so until our entire fleet of trailers is built by Great Dane.”

Everest CL Reefer
Great Dane’s all-new line of reefer trailers includes the Everest CL which provides the flexibility to configure as many as three precisely controlled temperature zones and an ambient section. With the latest industry-best innovations as standard, Everest reefers include Great Dane’s exclusive PunctureGuard lining for increased protection from daily wear and tear and an enhanced floor package featuring an anti-corrosion system.

Also featured is the Long-Life Light System with all LED lamps and dual intensity lighting; and Stemco’s Platinum Performance Plus wheel end system. Everest CL models are avail- able with white aluminum or corrugated stainless steel exterior panels and a comb-style rear frame constructed of rustproof satin-finish stainless steel. To learn more, go to www.greatdanetrailers.com.

“When we decided to replace our entire fleet of 175 trailers there was really only one choice,” says Carla Luig, president and CEO of First Choice Transport. “Great Dane’s reputation for building quality products, and its stability— especially in tough economic times— told us they’ll be in business and able to sup- port us for a long time. We’re very happy with this choice.”

Founded in September 2001 by Luig in her own home, First Choice Transport has experienced steady growth and ongoing success. The veteran of trucking and Fortune 500 companies now heads an interstate and intrastate trucking and transportation operation that services customers in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri with 85 company- owned tractors. Based in Fort Worth, the company also provides brokerage service to 42 additional states, as well cross-dock, partial load, consolidation, warehousing, and multi-stop services.

“When we opened for business we did not have the financial backing to buy new equipment so we began by leasing trailers,” Luig relates. “Then we bought some used trailers. Now that we are able to fund our equipment needs, we looked at our options and quickly realized that Great Dane offered the most reliable and durable trailers at a competitive cost.”

In 2011, First Choice replaced 95 of its trailers with 53-foot Great Dane P-101 Series dry freight vans built at the Jonesboro, Arkansas manufacturing facility. The trailers are fitted with slid- ing air ride suspensions and TIREMAAX PRO automatic tire monitoring and inflation solutions from Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems.

The high-cube P-101 dry freight van is a lightweight model with a nominal inside width of 101-inches. Offering more capacity than traditional sheet and post trailers, the P-101 also features a snag-free interior plastic lining that runs full height and is secured to the logistic posts using Great Dane’s unique “hook” design.

“We are planning to replace our other 80 trailers with P-101s in 2012,” Luig states. “Phasing them in makes sense because it gives us time to sell our existing units. Of course, there is a shortage of used five year old or newer trailers so we could be ready for our new Great Danes sooner.”

First Choice Transport’s decision to replace its entire trailer fleet coincided with a move to upgrade all of its dry vans with a new tracking, monitoring and fleet management system. The R:COM Dot trailer solution from Blue Tree Systems is being installed in the fleet’s new P-101 vans at the Jonesboro plant.

“Great Dane’s willingness to include the installation of our new trailer tracking system hardware in the production of our P-101 dry freight vans cemented our belief that we were doing business with the right company,” Luig says. “We were not offered that level of service by other manufacturers.”

“For us, Great Dane also stands out against its competitors because it has a network of branches and dealers throughout our entire operating area,” Luig continues. “With Great Dane we have set rates for services and access online to our trailer maintenance records so we are sure everything is up-to-date. We also have people within the Great Dane organization who are always ready to meet our needs, day and night.”

Luig firmly believes that Great Dane’s exceptional support is simply not available anywhere else. “We also did not find any other make that is as solid as a Great Dane,”she says. “In our opinion no other trailer stands up to the big dog.”

Champion SE Dry Freight
Great Dane’s all-new line of dry freight van trailers includes the Champion SE, designed for owner-operators, small fleets, LTL and truckload carriers alike. The Champion Series features many components aimed at eliminating corrosion and reducing overall maintenance.

Incorporating the latest industry-best innovations as standard, the Champion Series features the newly-designed EnduroGuard rear frame, a combination of galvanneal and stainless steel components structured to offer greater strength and durability while providing long-term corrosion protection. Standard 1⁄2-inch composite swing-type rear doors with galvanized steel exterior and interior skins and a polymer core also help eliminate corrosion. Also featured is the Long- Life Light System with all LED lamps and dual-intensity lighting; and Stemco’s Platinum Performance Plus wheel end system. Interior lining options include steel-lined SSL and plastic-lined panels for increased strength and reduced maintenance. To learn more, go to www.greatdanetrailers.com.

The quality of Great Dane reefers is what sold us initially,” says Serge Tremblay, fleet supervisor for the western division of Sobeys Inc., a Canadian retail grocery and food distributor. “The Great Dane dealer network, which covers the many locations we serve, and favorable pricing, also helped us decide to switch to Great Dane for our trailer needs.”

For the past five years, the Sobeys western fleet has been adding Great Dane Super Seal reefers to its operation. Currently there are about 60 of the refrigerated trailers in the Edmonton, Albertabased operation, which serves customers as far north as Fort Smith, Northwest Territories and south to Calgary and the U.S. border, as well as in all of Saskatchewan.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited, headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Sobeys operates 23 distribution centers across Canada. Its national office is located in Mississauga, Ontario and has regional offices in Edmonton, Mississauga, Montréal, and Stellarton. Sobeys owns or franchises more than 1,300 stores, serving 837 communities in ten provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, IGA, IGA extra, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Price Chopper, Rachelle-Béry, Needs, Marché Bonichoix and Les Marchés Tradition, as well as Lawton’s Drug Stores.

The Super Seal reefers at Sobeys, Tremblay relates, are designed and specified to meet the company’s needs in several ways. “They are light weight but have exceptional structural integrity,” he says. “The region in which the Sobeys western fleet operates is very demanding. During the winter, the temperature in some of our northernmost locations can reach – 40 degrees F or lower.”

For that reason, Sobeys specifies an extra inch of insulation in the sidewalls and roof of its Great Dane reefers to help ensure maximum thermal efficiency. Sobeys also specs both standard insulated Great Dane stainless steel swing doors and Whiting ColdSaver aluminum roll up rear doors in stainless steel frames.

To enhance cargo and trailer protection, Sobeys opts for Great Dane’s PunctureGuard interior lining on both sidewalls and ceilings. The durable, lighter weight option is a rigid, thin material manufactured using a unique process that thermally joins woven polypropylene and glass fibers into continuous thermoplastic panels.

The Great Dane Super Seals at Sobeys are tri-axle models fitted with multi-temp refrigeration units from Thermo King, and recently the company began spec’ing some Carrier models as well. All of the trailers are equipped with pintle hooks for use in turnpike doubles operations. Standard specs for the fleet also call for SAF Holland landing gear, Hendrickson axles and air ride suspensions, Meritor WABCO ABS, Bridgestone R195F tires and Grote Long Life lighting systems with LED lamps.

Sobeys has been hauling its own products for well over a century. Founded in 1907 by John William Sobey as a meat delivery business, the company initially employed a horse-drawn cart to collect livestock purchased from farmers. For its latest transportation needs, the company has opted for Great Dane Super Seal reefers.

“We just took delivery of 18 Super Seals,” Tremblay says. “Our plans call for replacing between 12 and 20 trailers annually, and along with growth in our western division business, we’ll most likely be buying quite a few more in the coming years.”

Keeping Cold
The temperature extremes in which the Sobeys western division fleet operates creates a unique set of demands– keeping cold out as well as in. Designed for trailers carrying goods at very low temperatures the Whiting ColdSaver Door helps manage inside reefer temperatures with foam-inplace insulation and by not using fasteners or aluminum connectors that can conduct heat or cold. Also featured on the doors is a bottom thermal break that runs the entire width of the door, double seal panel joints, and highly effective side and top seals.

Offered in a standard aluminum facing, ColdSaver doors can also be ordered with stainless steel-faced panels. For strength and durability, all models of the doors feature four rows of hinges and a heavy-duty two-cable balancer with independent springs for each cable. Springs on the ColdSaver doors are treated with a rust preventative and all door hardware has automotive quality corrosion protection.

“We had an opportunity to put two of the first Great Dane MXP-120 all-aluminum platform trailers in service in our fleet,” says Scotty Jones, president of Kelworth Trucking Co., Inc. “The performance of those pre-production units convinced us to start switching our trailer fleet over to Great Danes. So far, we’ve added 60 of the all-aluminum flatbeds to our operation.”

An over-the-road flatbed carrier, Kelworth Trucking Co. handles hauls for customers throughout the continental U.S. Headquartered in Poteau, Oklahoma, the company fields 130 platform trailers, primarily hauling wire and steel, along with some building materials.

“We started moving toward an all aluminum flatbed fleet four years ago,” Jones relates. “The added payload capacity of these lighter weight units benefits our customers. In addition, we handle a large number of loads from remote locations, where scales are not always available. The extra carrying capacity gives us peace of mind that we’re not overloaded or operating illegally.”

The 48-ft by 102-inch Great Dane MXP-120 all-aluminum platform trailers in the Kelworth fleet, Jones notes, can provide for about 1,500 extra lbs of carrying capacity compared to a combination steel-aluminum model. In part, that weight savings comes from equipping the units with aluminum wheels.

Launched by Great Dane after years of development and extensive field and lab testing, the MXP-120 flatbed features two-piece bolted aluminum main beams, extruded aluminum side rails, and an aluminum floor, rear assembly and crossmembers. Built at the OEM’s manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Tennessee, the trailer’s design also eliminates the potential for corrosion by combining technologies and proven components from other Great Dane platform models.

In addition to standard MXP-120 specifications, Kelworth adds a toolbox and pull up chain ties to its new Great Dane flatbeds. Specified by the carrier as well is TIREMAAX PRO from Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems. The automatic tire inflation system continuously monitors and adjusts tire pressure by inflating or deflating tires based on changing environmental conditions, as well as balancing tire pressures at every wheel position, leading to improved fuel efficiency and longer tire life.

To enhance safety, Kelworth also specs Meritor WABCO’s Roll Stability Support (RSS) system for trailers. The technology, an integrated feature of Meritor WABCO ABS, focuses on lateral acceleration and wheel speed, monitoring acceleration and automatically applying trailer brakes to reduce the vehicle’s speed. The long-term value of Great Dane trailers was also part of Kelworth’s decision to buy the MXP-120 all-aluminum platform models. “These are premium trailers designed and built with Great Dane’s approach to quality and durability,” Jones states. “We have a normal trade cycle of six to seven years for trailers and we fully expect the MXP-120s to have a significant residual value when we’re ready to replace them.”

Jones says Kelworth will be closely monitoring residual values, especially after five years of service with the MXP-120 flatbeds. In the meantime, he is already receiving very favorable driver and mechanic feedback about the performance of the trailers on the road and about their ease of maintenance in the shop.

Family owned and operated for over 25 years, Kelworth Trucking attributes its continued success to reputation among its customers for providing high quality service. “In the same way,” Jones says, “Great Dane’s history and reputation for high quality products, and our relationship with the company, gives us a high degree of comfort that the MXP-120 is the right trailer for our future.”

Maximizing Tread Life
Designed to integrate with trailer axles and suspensions, TIREMAAX PRO from Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems was developed to address fleet concerns about over inflation and balancing with automatic tire inflation systems. The solution continuously monitors and adjusts tire pressure by inflating or deflating tires based on changing environmental conditions, as well as balancing tire pressures at every wheel position.

TIREMAAX PRO can be specified with a variety of approved wheel-end configurations in conjunction with any Hendrickson INTRAAX suspension system, VANTRAAX slider suspension system, or trailer axle on Great Dane Trailers. The system draws from the trailer air supply and a pneumatic controller directs air to tires through a rotary air connection integrated into the hubcap. TIREMAAX PRO does not use electronics, transducers or pressure switches and does not require special tools to adjust tire pressure settings.

“To grow steadily, we need to field equipment that would make us more valuable to our customers,” says Chris Moore, VP of Operations at Bear Trucking, Inc. “Choosing Great Dane to fill our trailer needs was not a mistake. It was a very positive decision on our part.”

Based in San Bernardino, Calif., Bear Trucking has grown considerably. Founded in 1988 with one truck and one trailer, today the company operates 65 tractors and 225 trailers from two southern California locations. The common carrier services clients throughout 11 western states with regular hauls to the San Joaquin Valley, the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento areas, the Central Coast, Las Vegas, Phoenix and the entire Southern California market.

An exclusive beverage carrier for an Irwindale, Calif., brewery, Bear Trucking has focused on specifying lightweight dry vans that allow it to carry heavier loads than its competitors. Meeting those needs are 96 Great Dane 48-ft by 96-inch dry vans, including 80 new trailers added to the fleet in the past 14 months.

“A standard day cab tractor and 48-ft trailer for over-the-road use in the beverage market can haul about 48,000 lbs of freight,” Moore says. “Our goal was to spec equipment that can handle loads up to 53,000 lbs and with Great Dane’s help we have achieved that objective. Before we began buying Great Danes we would reach our maximum carrying capacity in weight before the trailer was full. Now we can put 5,000 more lbs of product on each load.”

About half of the 5,000-lb increase in carrying capacity at Bear Trucking comes from lightweight trailer specs, Moore explains. The balance comes from lightweight specification for the fleet’s tractors.

The aluminum sheet and post trailers added to the Bear Trucking fleet feature weight saving components in many areas. Included are aluminum for sidewall posts, spaced on 24-inch centers from the landing gear to the rear, roofs and roof bows, and a smooth finish dry cargo floor with a 12-inch wide threshold plate. There are also 4-inch aluminum I-Beam crossmembers on 8-inch centers in the bay area. The carrier also specs lightweight composite swing doors.

Bear Trucking is also specifying 445/50R22.5 Michelin XOne wide base single tires on Alcoa aluminum wheels on its new Great Dane dry vans, along with Webb aluminum hubs and Vortex drums. Hendrickson sliding tandem axles and air ride suspensions, and Stemco aluminum hubcaps are standard as well.

Another reason that Bear Trucking started converting its trailer fleet to Great Danes in 2010 was what Moore calls “the manufacturer’s attention to meeting our needs and its ability to deliver what we needed at a competitive price. Great Dane’s knowledge of our industry was unequaled,” he adds. “They used that knowledge to design a trailer for our operation and to steer us away from specs that might have limited the trailer’s durability. In this business trailers have to stand up for the long haul. Great Dane understood that our needs included a consideration of long-term value.”

Rapid growth has also been a driving force at Bear Trucking. Of the 80 new Great Danes to join the fleet in the past two years, only 15 were replacements. The company also requires a high trailer-to-tractor ratio to have the ability to easily handle peak demand during the summer with drop trailer programs. Their drivers can then deliver multiple shipments per day in the southern California market.

“The lightweight Great Dane dry vans enable us to meet that level of demand by carrying more freight per load,” Moore states. “During slower periods we can use the trailers to reduce the number of hauls, which means running fewer miles and realizing the cost and environmental benefits of burning less fuel.

“Over the next two or three years, as we continue to grow,” Moore concludes, “we’ll add to our ultra lightweight trailer fleet. Based on our current success with Great Dane, it is highly likely we will standardize on this trailer. With the support of our customers, we could replace the rest of our fleet and add 50-100 Great Dane trailers in this time frame.”

Refrigeration Leadership
Great Dane customers are boosting profits by using environmentally friendly technologies certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport partnership.

The collaboration between the freight industry and government designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel efficiency provides a list of technologies that can meet these requirements. On that list are several items for trailers. Included are aerodynamic devices that help save fuel by reducing the tractor-trailer gap and streamline air flow, such as side skirts and belly fairings. Automatic tire inflation systems, which maintain proper tire pressure even when the trailer is moving, extend tire life, lowering replacement costs and reducing fuel consumption. Lower rolling resistance, which leads to improved fuel economy, can result from the use of wide-base single tires. Using components made of aluminum or other lightweight materials can reduce empty weight, improving fuel efficiency. On trailers, weight can be cut by specifying aluminum posts and crossmembers, and with components such as aluminum wheels and hubs.

“We continually strive to meet the transportation requirements of our clients,” says Victor Manuel Jorquera, owner of Jorquera Transporte SA. “While our team of transportation professionals constantly develops, optimizes and executes effective and efficient transport services, we couldn’t meet our customers’ needs without a reliable fleet. For platform trailers, the only real choice for us is Great Dane.”

Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Chile, Jorquera Transporte SA serves a range of clients throughout the South American country. Based in eight locations, the fleet is engaged in a variety of freight transport, cargo handling and warehousing services. The carrier hauls forest products, steel and building materials on a fleet of Great Dane flatbeds. Other parts of the operation handle dry, refrigerated and liquid freight, including fuel and chemicals, paper and food products.

“For platform trailers we have chosen to use Great Dane GPL aluminum/steel combination platform trailers,” Jorquera relates. “Currently we have 21 of those trailers in our operation and we have ordered another 50 for delivery this year.

“We decided to buy the Great Dane flatbeds for a few reasons,” Jorquera continues. “First and foremost is that Great Dane offers quality and durability in its equipment. In addition, Great Dane works closely with us to spec the systems and components we need to handle different types of freight for our customers. At the same time, Great Dane’s experience in the U.S. and its excellent representation in Chile were part of that decision.”

The Great Dane GPL aluminum/steel combination platform trailers at Jorquera Transporte are 47-ft models fitted with tridem axles especially for the Chilean market. The front axle on the configuration is set 95 inches ahead of the center axle to meet operating requirements for loads handled by the fleet. A mix of air ride and spring suspensions are specified as well so the carrier has alternatives depending on the service a customer requires.

“The GPL is the best choice for us because of the strength of its steel frame, front end and bulkhead, and rear impact guard, and the hauling capacity we have with its lighter weight aluminum components, including side and rub rails and flooring,” Jorquera points out. “Additionally, the design of its heavy-duty outriggers means we can transfer weight from the side rails to the lower main beams.”

Over the years, Jorquera Transporte SA has established itself as a leader in the freight transport market in Chile. The family-owned and operated company has grown steadily by establishing and maintaining close relationships with its customers.

“The professionalism throughout our operation comes from our people who believe strongly in providing excellent service to our customers at all times,” Jorquera states. “One of the keys to our success is a foundation of providing quality service focused on customer satisfaction.

“A solid relationship with equipment suppliers is also essential to our ongoing growth and success,” Jorquera adds. “Great Dane helps separate us from the competition and meet our customers’ needs effectively and efficiently. In the future we plan to continue to expand our fleet with Great Dane trailers.”

Global Reach
Great Dane’s commitment to building superior products and fulfilling customer needs extends beyond North America, bringing the highest quality dry van, refrigerated and platform trailers to customers in Mexico and South America. The company’s extensive dealer, service and parts distribution network includes dealers in Mexico and Colombia, and numerous locations in Chile.

Great Dane utilizes a network of company-owned branches, full-line independent dealers, and parts-only independent dealers as well as distribution points across North and South America to meet customer needs. All of the locations are fully supported by division offices in Savannah, Ga. and Chicago, Ill., as well as the company’s seven manufacturing plants in the U.S. An eighth manufacturing facility is under construction in Statesboro, Ga., and is expected to begin production in April 2012.

From every perspective, says Kevin Podmore, who oversees the long-haul fleet at Frito-Lay North America, Great Dane builds perfect trailers for our operation. “Our goal is two-fold, to realize 20 or more years of reliable service from our trailers and to do so with minimal maintenance,” he states. “Working with Great Dane, we learn what’s available to us to achieve those objectives and to specify the best trailers.”

Frito-Lay North America is a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc., which is headquartered in Purchase, NY, and includes Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. The $13 billion convenient foods business unit’s brands account for 59 percent of the U.S. snack chip industry.

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, the Frito-Lay fleet includes about 600 Great Danes. The trailers, which operate from 26 traffic centers across the U.S., haul loads from plants to company distribution centers and make store deliveries to grocery chains and wholesale clubs. Also part of the fleet’s portfolio is handling hauls for PepsiCo sister companies as part of a company-wide effort to find optimal transportation and routing solutions.

“We’ve been a Great Dane customer since 1998,” Podmore says, “and some of our original trailers are actually still in service. In many ways they still look new. That’s how well the Great Danes hold up in our operation.”

Frito-Lay’s newest Great Dane trailers include The Composite and Classic dry freight vans. In 2010, the company purchased about 60 The Composite plate wall vans. For 2011, Frito-Lay has ordered 70 more Great Danes, including Composite models, and Classic dry freight vans with Interlift liftgates.

“The Composite is a great asset for us,” Podmore states. “With a full 101-inch interior width they help handle high cube loads, and the.30-inch thick composite wall panels provide more puncture-resistance, which helps reduce damage to the trailers during loading and unloading operations. Also, with the composite walls and composite doors we specify, we can fight the effects of corrosion, especially in areas of U.S. where that is a big concern.”

All of Frito-Lay’s new trailers purchased since 2009 have also been treated with CorroGuard, Great Dane’s exclusive spray-inplace thermoplastic elastomeric coating that completely covers sub-frames and landing gear, providing unmatched impact protection from road abrasion to combat corrosion.

“The Composite is an all around winner in our fleet,” Podmore says. “Our technicians say it’s the best trailer they’ve seen in 20 years and from our drivers’ perspective there aren’t any issues. They tell us that this is a great trailer and they are very confident when they load them and head down the road.”

Frito-Lay, according to Podmore, also looks to its trailer fleet to further the company’s sustainability initiatives. For example, since 2010 all new Great Danes in its fleet have been equipped with Alcoa aluminum wheels and SmartWay approved low rolling resistance tires to help reduce fuel use. The lighter weight wheels also help boost payload capacity.

Fuel efficiency is also being addressed on Frito-Lay’s Great Danes by adding Nose Cone air deflectors on trailer front walls and Freight Wing belly fairings on every new trailer since 2009. Other fuel savings specs include the Eco-flap from Andersen Flaps, which cut drag by allowing air to flow through them, and according to the fleet’s drivers also reduce road spray.

Extending the life cycle of its Great Dane trailers and helping achieve its goal of minimal unscheduled downtime are Havco composite 1.19-inch laminated hardwood floors. “That floor will serve us well in the long run,” Podmore says, “and they save weight as well.”

Podmore also points out other long life components on Frito-Lay’s trailers, including Hendrickson INTRAAX axles and suspensions, TSE brake chambers—something the company’s technicians recommended inspecification review meetings. One additional item, he notes, is EZ Claw, a tandem slider hose and cable management system that keep air lines tethered and shaped properly, eliminating spring and hose replacements.

Fighting Corrosion
Taking corrosion resistance and durability a step further, CorroGuard, Great Dane’s exclusive spray-in-place thermoplastic elastomeric coating applied to suspensions and support gear, is now providing superior long-term protection from road abrasion and corrosion on dry vans and refrigerated trailer models. Part of a complete package of comprehensive corrosion prevention solutions, CorroGuard is extremely durable and highly resistant to de-icing chemicals, road debris, climate fluctuations, and ice and snow. Air and water tight, it will not peel, crack, warp, flake or split under even the harshest of conditions, and it remains pliable over time and withstands prolonged UV exposure. CorroGuard also does not contain VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) or solvents so it is not carcinogenic, ozonedepleting or harmful if inhaled.

“Great Dane has been our exclusive supplier of trailers for the 11 years that we’ve been in business,” says Marc Gruber, president of Customized Distribution, llc. (CDI). “One reason for the long-standing relationship between our companies is that we share many of the same values, including the belief that providing quality products and services is integral to our success and that of our customers.”

With a fleet of 51 Great Dane Classic reefers, all sourced under a full-service lease from Penske Truck Leasing, CDI services chain restaurants in six Southeastern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The company operates from a combined 226,000 square feet of dry storage, freezers, coolers and refrigerated docks in its Jacksonville, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia distribution centers.

A second-generation foodservice distributor, CDI traces its roots to IDI (Interstate Distributors, Inc.), founded in 1972 and sold in the early 1990s. Asked by former customers to return to the business, IDI’s former owner Tom Willingham along with Win Willingham, Bill Bartels and Marc Gruber opened CDI in early 2000.

“We picked up where IDI left off,” Gruber says, “including spec’ing only trailers from Great Dane to ensure the quality of the products we deliver to our customers. Today, our lease suppliers know that we simply aren’t interested in any trailers that aren’t built by Great Dane.

“Our industry is tough on equipment,” Gruber continues. “We found out a long time ago that Great Dane builds trailers that will hold up to the demands we place on them. Our trailers are not just durable because Great Dane pays attention to structural quality. Their craftsmanship extends to every detail.” Specified for an expected eight-year service life, the number of Classic reefers in the CDI fleet grew significantly in the past year. In 2010, the company added 40 new trailers to its operation, half as replacements and 20 more for growth.

The 48-ft Great Dane Classics at CDI are all equipped with Thermo King multi-temp refrigeration units and fitted with an ITW Maxair air return and two F&G bulkheads to accommodate frozen, refrigerated and dry products on each load. Extra insulation is also specified in the trailers’ roofs, side and front walls for better temperature control along with a Whiting Coldsaver III aluminum roll-up rear door in a stainless steel frame.

For enhanced cargo and trailer protection, CDI now specs Great Dane’s PunctureGuard interior lining on both sidewalls and ceilings where load lock rods placed vertically can cause damage. In use is 0.070-inch PunctureGuard on sidewalls and 0.100-inch on ceilings. The durable, lighter weight option is a rigid, thin material manufactured using a unique process that thermally joins woven polypropylene and glass fibers into continuous thermo-plastic panels.

To facilitate delivery operations, CDI specs two 40-inch single roadside doors on all of its Classic reefers. “We want to provide a productive and safe work environment for our drivers,” Gruber states. “Each side door is equipped with a pull out platform and a ramp and a grab handle. In addition, we spec an aluminum heavy-duty safety-grip floor and four Truck-Lite LED interior dome lights on each trailer.”

One other custom specification on CDI’s newest Classic refers is a full width aluminum front top rail protector to address concerns about potential damage from low hanging tree branches in customer locations. Other specs for the trailers include Hutchens spring suspensions and Meritor axles and Q Plus extended service brakes and automatic slack adjusters. Meritor WABCO ABS, Haldex brake chambers, Stemco Guardian wheels seals, Stemco-Engler hubodometers, Accuride steel disc wheels and 11R22.5 Goodyear G316 LHT Fuel Max tires, and Truck-Lite LED lamps are all standard as well.

“Every day of the week,” Gruber says, “our chain restaurant customers rely on us to deliver food, packaging, cleaning supplies and other products necessary for running their restaurants. Their expectation is that deliveries will be accurate, undamaged, at the correct temperature and on time. “We believe in providing that level of service and much more,” Gruber adds, “so our customers’ needs guide us in every decision we make, including those for trailers. With Great Dane we have a supplier that cares about its customers, and takes pride in the trailers it builds.”

Refrigeration Leadership
For 70 years, Great Dane has never relinquished its pioneering role or leadership in the reefer market, always leading the way in developing revolutionary products. From the first produce van with a wet ice bunker and a gas engine and blower system in the early 1940s to the first factory finished aluminum refrigerated van in 1949, ongoing innovation continued to include new insulating methods and the creation of the broadest line of reefers in the industry. The revolution also included development of ThermoGuard, the exclusive interior liner that helps seals the reefer’s insulation, significantly reducing the loss of insulation performance, cutting costs through decreased cooling unit run-time, lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance and extended life. In 2010, Great Dane acquired Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, the industry leader in the manufacture of insulated fiberglass refrigerated truck bodies and all-electric refrigeration solutions.