Great Dane Has Plans Soon for Microbial Protection, Telematics and Rear Impact Guard NASHVILLE, Tenn. —

Trailer maker Great Dane introduced three new means of increasing the safety and efficiency of its products, including with antimicrobial protection, enhanced telematics and a stronger rear impact guard. Beginning mid­year, Great Dane’s PunctureGuard and ThermoGuard linings will come standard with antimicrobial protection from Microban International to help fight bacteria growth, stains and odors for the entire life of the trailer, the company said. Great Dane is the first trailer manufacturer to introduce antimicrobial protection in trailer linings, and has the exclusive rights to the Microban product in trailers, Brandie Fuller, vice president of marketing at Great Dane, told Transport Topics at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting here. TMC is a division of American Trucking Associations. “These linings will help our customers become a carrier of choice as new, stricter Food Safety Modernization Act rules go into effect,” Fuller said. At the same time, its smart trailer concept is in development and intended to keep drivers and managers informed about basic pre­trip inspection checks and alert notifications, the company said. “Prototypes are currently being tested with multiple fleet customers. The results of the testing will help Great Dane develop a final product that truly meets our customers’ needs,” Dennis Skaradzinski, chief engineer for Great Dane, said in a statement. The data monitored includes tire inflation, weight distribution, door sensors, lights, GPS location and more, it said. Data from the system can be received through an onboard LCD display, a Bluetooth connection with a mobile app and desktop computer software, Great Dane said. In addition, its new rear impact guard will be standard on all Great Dane model trailers beginning later this year. Due to the traditional bolt­on design of the guard, Great Dane also will offer a retrofit option for 2007 and later models. The redesign is intended to prevent under ride at the rear impact guard’s outer edges, known as a 30% offset crash, it said. Its existing rear impact guard met all safety regulations, including the most­stringent Canadian requirements, it said. “This new rear impact guard was designed to make it stronger without changing the traditional bolt­on design,” said Chris Lee, vice president of engineering. “It was important for us to include this design as a standard on all of our trailer product lines – reefers, dry vans and flatbeds.”