LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Great Dane Trailers says its ThermoGuard refrigerated trailer insulation, unveiled at the Mid-America Trucking Show, will substantially extend the useful life and value of reefers.

“Trailers age because of the ‘outgassing’ effects of the foam insulation and moisture intrusion. This product addresses the outgassing effect and maintains the insulating performance of the trailer as it ages,” said Rick Mullinix, vice-president, engineering for Great Dane in explaining how liners that don’t completely seal the insulation result in outgassing that causes the foam to degrade over time.

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 ThermoGuard, a glass-reinforced, thermoplastic liner, contains a composite layer that seals the trailer’s insulation, significantly reducing the traditional loss in insulation performance, according to Mullinix.

Designed and engineered by Great Dane, ThermoGuard is available exclusively on all of the company’s refrigerated trailers.

ThermoGuard’s construction also offers benefits in addition to the reduction in foam degradation, according to company officials.

They say to expect a reduction in operational costs 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, it is claimed.

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 includes puncture resistance.

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.