ATLANTA, Ga. – Stoughton Trailers is re-entering the refrigerated trailer market with the launch of its PureBlue model.

The company introduced the new refrigerated trailer at the North American Commercial Vehicle show. It was dubbed PureBlue, because the company wanted a name it felt reflected its corporate values, and felt PureBlue symbolizes durability and strength, said Ron Jake, marketing manager.

Eicher said the new trailer was two years in the making, and has undergone more than 3,000 miles of testing carrying 55,000-lb payloads over harsh surfaces. Bonded side posts require fewer rivets, giving it a clean design. The rear doors have a composite frame, and are triple sealed to prevent moisture penetration and air loss.

There’s no wood to be found anywhere within the trailer, it’s all made from composite materials, aluminum and steel. Crossmembers can be spec’d as aluminum or steel, depending on payload requirements.

The trailer comes standard with a new rear impact guard that complies with both Canadian and U.S. underride protection requirements. Eicher noted the better guard added no cost or weight to the trailer.

He also claimed PureBlue is “one of the lightest, most thermally efficient units available, with one of the lowest costs of ownership.”

It can be spec’d with any refrigeration unit, and the box has 18 inches of scuff protection along the bottom of the walls. Stoughton used a platen foam insulation method, which it feels is the best option available. This method involves filling each section with foam and then fitting them together.

“We chose platen, because we feel it gives us much better control of the distribution of the foam,” he explained. “We have a more uniform density throughout the structure and better control of where we place the foam, so we can control the weight. The other benefit is, we get better control of the flatness of the wall. If your wall isn’t flat, you can imagine customers loading cargo and running a forklift down the side and hitting those bumps – that’s going to create damage.”

The floor is fully enveloped so water can’t get inside.

Asked why Stoughton chose now to re-enter a trailer segment it wasn’t currently in, Eicher said adding a refrigerated trailer is an important part of the company’s growth strategy.

“It’s the right time for Stoughton to grow,” he said. “Stoughton has a very strong, well thought out growth agenda, and this fits right into it. The market segment is strong, and it’s a good time to enter into it.”

The PureBlue trailer will be available in the first quarter of 2018.