Farmington, CT-based trailer refrigeration system maker Carrier Transicold is updating its X-Series reefer line with a variety of new features, as well as a new name.
Now known as the Niagara line, the single-temperature trailer refrigeration units feature improved aesthetics, superior serviceability and much better sound quality, Ignacio Aguerrevere, Carrier’s director of marketing, told FleetOwner, without sacrificing the durability and reliability characteristics of the X-Series.
“We’re always looking at how the reefer interacts with the trailer and the truck – and ways we can improve that interaction,” Aguerrevere said. “Part of our goal is to change and improve reefer unit performance, especially in terms of fuel consumption and emissions.”
He noted that as trucks are being forced to shut off their engines due to much tighter no-idle laws being enacted across the U.S., reducing the noise output of the reefer unit is vital. Increasingly, that’s the only piece of equipment running while a driver is unloading refrigerated goods at a grocery store or distribution center.
“You notice noise a lot more when the reefer is running by itself,” Aguerrevere said. “That’s why we focused so much on reducing sound output as we developed the Niagara line.”
Mike Murdock, Carrier’s product manager for trailer products, added that this is the first overhaul of the X-Series design since it was introduced in 2000. The new name reinforces the idea that the changes are taking X-Series performance to a “new level,” he said.
Murdock said the Niagara units feature panel doors made from DuraShell 2 material, a thermoplastic olefin (TPO) composite that offers superior structural integrity with triple the impact strength, double the UV light resistance, 50% better thermal stability and 20% than the material used for the X-Series.
The DuraShell 2 twin-sheet panel construction, acoustic foam on the interior surfaces and integrated door seals, wider grill openings to reduce airflow resistance, and a quieter gearbox all help reduce sound output, he said.
Finally, serviceability is vastly improved via the addition of hinged side doors that open all the way to the top. “The front panels swing open from the center with a single latch release,” said Murdock. “Also, the control box is larger with a tilted display that is easier for drivers and technicians to read.”
“We spent four months working with our service advisor team, made up of technicians from all over our dealership network, to make these units easier to maintain and repair,” added Aguerrevere. “All of that work makes the new Niagara much easier to use.”
