The inside of a trailer is not the most hospitable working environment, especially on a steamy day. It’s the kind of place that precipitates calls from the dock to the union rep — Uh, just how hot does it have to be before we get another 15-minute break?

DL Manufacturing, a Syracuse, N.Y., company, has developed a ventilation system that mounts above a dock door and circulates air through the interior of the cargo area. The result is a “virtual pipe” of air that circulates the full length of the trailer and continuously pushes fresh air into the trailer while pulling old air out.

The device mounts permanently at the upper corner of the dock door and features a heavy-duty, breakaway air delivery tube, which places mechanical components clear of heavy traffic of the door opening.

Powered by a 1/4-horsepower split-capacitor motor with a thermal cutout to prevent over-heating, AeroTec uses less energy, takes up 75 per cent less space, and is less prone to breaking than conventional blade fans, the manufacturer claims. It’s also more efficient, since fans simply blow air into the trailer without drawing any air out, creating a pressurized, uncomfortable work space.