LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Great Dane has redesigned its Classic Truckload refrigerated trailer.

Through engineering and testing, weight was trimmed out of the Classic Truckload, while maintaining strength. Its bonded roof construction reduces weight while increasing durability and maintaining thermal efficiency through the lamination process. And its lighter, yet stronger lining is designed to withstand everyday operational wear and tear and protect cargo in the process.

A computer-controlled urethane injection process insulates roof and sidewall components completely, but the addition of  Great Dane’s ThermoGuard, thermoplastic liner, further enhances the trailer’s efficiency. Great Dane says that testing  has shown that the thermoplastic liner maximizes the useful life of a trailer by significantly reducing the thermal degradation that occurs with conventional reefer linings.

Recent testing of some of the first production line ThermoGuard-equipped reefers indicated after nearly five years of service, a loss of thermal efficiency comparable to just one year. Earlier evaluations after six, eight and 20 months of service revealed an almost insignificant reduction in thermal effectiveness.

ThermoGuard’s patented construction includes a metallized film that virtually eliminates the outgassing through the liner, which allows the insulation to perform effectively over a longer period of time, according to company officials. By helping to maintain insulation performance over the life of the trailer, the cooling unit will not have to work as hard each year to make up for degrading insulation performance.

 Along with ThermoGuard, the Classic Truckload includes CorroGuard, an exclusive spray-in-place thermoplastic elastomeric coating applied to suspensions and landing gear that provides complete coverage for long-term protection from road abrasion and corrosion.