Great Dane showcases innovation at MATS

Innovation is taking center stage at Great Dane’s booth #34075 in the 2015 Mid-America Trucking Show at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville from March 26-28.
In keeping with Great Dane’s new “Commit With Confidence” branding theme, the company’s 2015 MATS displays allow visitors to experience the latest equipment firsthand, including the first public showing of the company’s completely redesigned aluminum flatbed trailer—the Freedom XP. Also featured will be an Everest TL truckload reefer with ThermoGuard lining; a Champion CP composite plate dry van featuring bonded sidewall construction; a Freedom LT combo flatbed featuring disc brakes and CorroGuard undercoating; and an Alpine sheet-and-post refrigerated truck body designed and built in cooperation with Great Dane’s subsidiary Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies. Additional interactive displays in the booth will showcase Great Dane’s new interactive iPad and iPhone product and branch/dealer locator apps.
Highlighted in Great Dane’s 2015 MATS booth are four of the company’s latest trailers, all featuring an impressive range of standard features such as Accuride wheels with advanced Steel Armor powdercoating technology; Bridgestone Ecopia low rolling resistance tires, Stemco Platinum Performance Plus wheel-end systems with six-year limited warranty; and Grote’s 100% LED lighting system with dual-intensity stop lights and a fully sealed Long-Life modular wiring harness covered by a 10-year warranty.
•Redesigned 48-foot Freedom XP aluminum flatbed—This trailer has been redesigned based on review and input from Great Dane flatbed fleet customers. The trailer is rated for a 52,000-lb load concentrated in four feet, with an optional main beam configuration that achieves a 60,000-lb rating. It is nearly 1,200 pounds lighter than a comparable steel-/aluminum combo trailer, and is available with low- or high-camber.  Among its new features are a lighter, stiffer beam assembly  re-contoured for improved swing clearance; a sure-grip floor surface for increased traction and load stability; an extended full-length rub rail; new landing gear design, a streamlined wiring harness assembly; and low-profile turn signals.
•53-ft bonded construction Composite Plate dry van—Great Dane is exhibiting a special version of its Champion CP composite plate dry van, featuring bonded lap joint sidewalls to provide a smooth exterior surface while reducing use of rivets. The show trailer also features other standards and options including 15.3-inch scuffbands; Great Dane’s corrosion-fighting EnduroGuard swing door frame; Prolam hardwood flooring with sliding J-Hook tracks, PuR undercoating and WaxIn 100 top coating; full-length A-track bonded to the interior liner; a Hendrickson/Bendix disc brake system; and galvanized steel I-beam cross members on 12-inch centers.
•Weight-saving 53-ft truckload reefer trailer—Great Dane’s Everest TL reefer trailer features lightweight wood-free technology, thermal efficiency, and durability. In addition to its range of standard features, the Everest TL show trailer also features ThermoGuard lining in the floors, walls, ceiling, and doors; a PunctureGuard bonded scuffband; Grote LED rectangular domelights with passive infrared motion sensors; Hendrickson’s TireMaxx Pro tire inflation system; a CorroGuard-coated landing gear assembly; and Hendrickson’s Ultraa-K air-slider suspension and Accuride Accu-Shield mirror-polished aluminum disc wheels.
•Corrosion-busting 48-ft combo flatbed—Great Dane’s Freedom LT combo flatbed combines steel and aluminum construction to provide a lightweight, low-maintenance product with a lasting appearance and outstanding long-term value. The Great Dane show model includes CorroGuard anti-corrosion coating on the trailer’s mainbeam as well as on support gear components. Other features of the show trailer include an extended full-length rub rail, a galvanized upper coupler, a single coil hauling package with aluminum cross-members, a Hendrickson TireMaxx Pro tire inflation system, and Accuride Accu-Shield mirror-polish aluminum disc wheels.
•Johnson Alpine refrigerated truck body—The Alpine truck body is the result of a recent collaboration between engineers at Great Dane and Johnson. Like other Johnson products, the Alpine is engineered with structural integrity and manufactured to meet strict quality standards. Its modular panel sheet-and-post construction combines cost efficiency with ease of repair. The foaming method refined and proven by Great Dane ensures optimal quality with void-free insulation. The Alpine’s superstructure is built to suit a range of refrigerated applications while lowering the cost of operation and minimizing maintenance requirements. A variety of options for custom interior lining, access systems, body height, length, width, and door configurations are available.
For more details, access www.greatdanetrailers.com or www.johnsontruckbodies.com.