Great Dane’s Statesboro GA plant delivers first reefer trailer

Great Dane’s new refrigerated trailer plant in Statesboro GA recently celebrated the completion of the facility’s first customer trailer, produced to order, in a commemoration ceremony with the trailer’s new owner, Rowland Transportation of Dade City FL.

The first customer trailer is an Everest TL refrigerated trailer, which offers a range of construction features designed to maximize performance and operating efficiency.

In taking delivery of the trailer, Doc Hyder, president of Rowland Transportation, commented on his family’s long-standing relationship with Great Dane.

“Great Dane has been a leader in the field of refrigerated transportation, which is why my family has used them for 70 years,” he said. “Our relationship with Great Dane goes back to the 1940s, when my great-grandfather hauled fresh produce out of Florida and North Carolina to Boston, using wet bed ice bunkers to keep the product cool.”

Hyder is a Florida native with strong ties to the trucking industry. He began work with his family’s business in 1983, but can trace his trucking roots back to the 1920s, when his great-grandfather started Clay Hyder Truck Lines. The Hyder family expanded its business hauling commodities and foodstuffs, and was one of the first carriers to haul fresh and chilled citrus products out of Florida to the Carolinas. Rowland Transportation mainly hauls refrigerated food products nationwide, with a focus on the Southeast region.

Great Dane’s Statesboro facility encompasses 450,000 square feet, including office space and a 3,000-sq-ft climate-controlled, noise-free customer preview center. The facility is dedicated to manufacturing Everest refrigerated trailers, the TL model reefer for truckload carriers, and the CL model reefer built especially for the needs of multi-temp and foodservice operations.

Breakthrough technologies incorporated at the Statesboro facility include the use of robotic welding, automated production processes, computer-controlled foaming operations, and an optimized material handling system. Green initiatives are in place, including energy-efficient lighting and use of a building management system to automatically control lights, air quality, and building temperature; programs to reduce water consumption; and use of load monitors to ensure optimal energy consumption.

Visit www.greatdanetrailers.com for full information.