Heavy Duty Trucking, May 2018

HDT MAY 2018 88 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM TRAILERS BODIES help make trailers more durable Utility for instance increased its trailer floor capacity offers upgraded liners and has made detail improvements to the back of the trailer Advances in materialsAll these factors are leading some truck and body makers to develop different materials types of construction Were always looking at better foaming techniques and materials Jarossy says noting that Morgans NexGen body uses a block foam with the wall constructed like a sandwich So theres no voids so it has a very good R value Wabash National has introduced new molded structural composites technology used in the aerospace automotive and marine industries In van applications were improving thermal efficiency by up to 28 while keeping weight comparable to a conventional reefer 20 lighter in some comparisons and adding a 24000 pound floor rating Ehrlich says Body damage can allow water to get into the insulation adding weight and decreasing the insulating ability or causing materials to rot or corrode Some of the things that typically have been known to be failure modes for reefers are the internal construction of the wall and the floor notes Todd Eicher 4engineering director and plant manager for Stoughton Its PureBlue trailers platen foamed sides and roof ensure that the trailer is fully insulated in 360 degrees with no voids or uneven areas Eicher says new reinforced thermal plastics offer higher performance and are more durable than earlier plastics Glass reinforced composite materials are typically going to come at a little bit of a premium on paper compared to wood or metal but the performance benefits tend to outweigh it Repair costs are another factor Some newer designs offer great promise in terms of performance Eicher says but theres a lot to be said for maintaining a more conventional design that is going to be familiar to repair shops Bennett says in some applications tougher duty cycles may call for less cutting edge materials At our test track in southern California weve tested composite materials and plastics and they dont perform as well as the current materials were using The plastic cracks particularly if the duty cycle is increased How those materials are put together makes a difference he says Utility uses a foam in place technique The floor walls and roof are one continuous envelope of foam Regulations Maintaining and recording the cargo temperature per the shippers requirements has become a high priority for carriers since the Food Safety Modernization Act became law says Chris Lee Great Danes vice president of engineering Great Dane for instance is implementing its integrated FleetPulse telematics system which it says is the first of its kind A number of third party telematics systems are available Refrigeration units of course have been offering fleets real time data via telematics for some time All Precedent units now are equipped from the factory with Thermo Kings asset management system TracKing Fleets must also develop proper cleaning and washing procedures per the shippers requirements Lee notes adding that Great Dane offers antimicrobial solutions such as PunctureGuard and ThermoGuard reefer linings featuring Microban As Utilitys Bennett notes You want an interior thats very cleanable The hard places to clean are behind the air return bulkhead ours easily hinges up to clean behind it and above it theres an air return chute in the ceiling that needs special attention when cleaning In addition The government has introduced several environmental regulations and policies that are focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions says Wabashs Ehrlich Federal GHG2 rules for trailers were put on hold by a court decision last fall However California is working on its own version of the GHG rules for trailers There is a lot of new technology available to address these trends says Lee However it is important to remember that the technology must fit ones operations and should be vetted out by individual fleets Technology will not provide ROI for a fleet if it does not work properly or fit the needs of its operations 5 Wabashs new cold chain series refrigerated trailer uses proprietary molded structural composite with thermal technology MSCT which the company says improves thermal performance saves weight and improves damage resistance Last mile fresh delivery trends are driving more refrigerated truck body options like this NexGen body from Morgan Corp Refrigerated trailer interiors are taking more of a beating than ever Stoughtons PureBlue trailer features a rivet free 6 inch aluminum scuff band and 12 inch integral scuff liner Anti microbial liners like Great Danes Microban can address food safety regulations