Great Dane is proud to present three new product features at this year’s Technology and Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition. The event is being held at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, from Feb. 27 – Mar. 2.

The theme of Great Dane’s display at booth #145 is “Ensuring the Safe and Efficient Delivery of Goods.” Throughout the booth, numerous displays show how our new product features help improve safety and efficiency. These features include a new smart trailer telematics concept, interior reefer liners enhanced with antimicrobial protection to fight bacteria and a stronger rear impact guard to help ensure those on the road with our trailers are protected.

Telematics Concept
 
Great Dane’s new smart trailer concept will keep drivers and fleet managers informed about basic pre-trip inspection checks and alert notifications while on the road. The data monitored includes tire inflation, weight distribution, door sensors, lights, GPS location and more. Data from this system can be received through an onboard LCD display, a Bluetooth connection with a mobile app and desktop computer software.

“We are excited to launch our smart trailer concept in beta at TMC to get customer input and continue the development of the device,” said Dennis Skaradzinski, Chief Engineer for Great Dane. “Prototypes are currently being tested with multiple fleet customers. The results of the testing will help Great Dane develop a final product that truly meets our customers’ needs.”

Great Dane’s conceptual telematics device is the result of an action item developed by the Future Trailer Committee, which was chaired by Great Dane representatives, at the TMC exhibition in 2011. The task was to develop an automated pre-trip inspection device to assist drivers with quicker turnaround at trailer pickup. This action item was part of a five-year plan set forth by the committee, and Great Dane is proud to present its concept product at the 2017 TMC exhibition.

Interior Linings with Antimicrobial Protection
 
Great Dane has enhanced its exclusive PunctureGuard and ThermoGuard linings by adding broad- spectrum antimicrobial protection to the lining material. Beginning mid-year, PunctureGuard and ThermoGuard linings will come standard with antimicrobial protection, which helps fight bacteria growth, stains and odors for the entire life of the trailer. Great Dane is the first trailer manufacturer to introduce antimicrobial protection in trailer linings.

“With the addition of antimicrobial protection to our reefer linings, we are making possible a cleaner environment that fights against bacteria growth,” said Brandie Fuller, Vice President of Marketing. “These linings will help our customers become a carrier of choice as new, stricter Food Safety Modernization Act rules go into effect.”
 
Rear Impact Guard
 
Great Dane has made it a goal to create stronger safeguards around its equipment. One way the company is accomplishing this goal is through its new rear impact guard. Great Dane’s rear impact guard has for years met all safety regulations, including the most-stringent Canadian requirements. However, to make its trailers even safer for truck-trailer drivers and those on the road with them, Great Dane has enhanced its rear impact guard to help make it safer during collisions. It was recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and passed the organization’s rigorous 30 percent offset test.

“This new rear impact guard was designed to make it stronger without changing the traditional bolt-on design,” said Chris Lee, Vice President of Engineering. “It was important for us to include this design as a standard on all of our trailer product lines – reefers, dry vans and flatbeds.”

The new rear impact guard will be standard on all Great Dane model trailers beginning later this year. Also, due to the traditional bolt-on design of the guard, Great Dane will offer a retrofit option for 2007 and later models.