SAVANNAH, GA – Touting products as durable as they are green, Great Dane is showcasing practical, environmentally-friendly solutions that help customers boost their bottom line in Booth #34075 at the 2010 Mid-America Trucking Show March 25-27 in Louisville, Ky.

On display is the most durable, low maintenance product in Great Dane’s dry van line, the SSL, featuring numerous “green” components that virtually eliminate all wood from the trailer with the exception of the floor. In addition to being eco-friendly, these components together help improve fuel efficiency and help extend trailer life, including PunctureGuard front wall and scuffbands, CorroGuard with Technology by GatorHyde® corrosion protection on suspensions and landing gear, patented interior panels featuring a composite backer, AeroFlex side skirts, WAXIN floor protection and P-u-R floor undercoating.

Among the SSL’s standard attributes is the unique construction of its single-sided laminate interior lining, a layer of steel over a rigid core that produces an interior panel far superior to plywood or plastic linings. Additionally, this tough, one-of-a-kind steel lining provides exceptional protection against forklift damage, which is typically visible on the outer wall, therefore improving the aesthetic value of the trailer. The SSL provides increased cubic capacity comparable to standard plate and composite wall trailers but with unmatched durability.

PunctureGuard, a Great Dane exclusive, is thin, yet highly puncture-resistant and helps preserve a trailer’s interior appearance by minimizing damage from forklift loading and other everyday abuses.

Further enhancing the already-durable SSL on display is CorroGuard, Great Dane’s exclusive spray-in-place thermoplastic elastomeric coating that completely covers the sub-frame and landing gear. CorroGuard, the most comprehensive corrosion solution in the industry, can help minimize maintenance costs and extend the life of the trailer by offering unmatched impact protection that resists chipping, cracking, warping, flaking, or splitting under even the harshest of conditions. This extremely durable solution is also resistant to today’s de-icing chemicals, road debris, climate fluctuations, and ice and snow.

Displayed on the SSL, AeroFlex’s unique wedge-configured fairings design and increased side coverage are attributed to the greater fuel efficiency—7.5 percent—they help achieve. In addition, the side skirts are constructed of HDPE plastic sheets that are durable and can flex upward, outward and inward to provide unlimited clearance.

The SFI-certified hardwood floor—available only from Prolam—on the SSL is the only wood component of the trailer and features two of the flooring company’s innovations to resist moisture. The first eight feet from the rear of the trailer is protected with WAXIN coating, which helps reduce surface wear and resists delamination from moisture intrusion, and P-u-R, a hot melt polyurethane reactive undercoating, protects against breakdowns associated with intense water spray and road debris.

Together, these eco-friendly components can add more green to an operation—and to its bottom line, while the durability and low maintenance options can help deliver the greatest return on investment with extended years of service.

In addition to Great Dane’s booth exhibit, members of the manufacturing and engineering staff along with company experts in sales, parts and service will be available to assist attendees.

This release and photos can be downloaded online at www.greatdanetrailers.com/mediapress.

Great Dane Trailers, a manufacturer of dry van, refrigerated and platform trailers, has long been regarded as the industry leader in technology, innovation and quality. The company has division offices in Savannah, Ga., and Chicago, Ill., with manufacturing plants strategically located throughout the United States. With distribution points across North and South America, Great Dane utilizes a network of company-owned branches and full-line independent dealers as well as parts-only independent dealers. Great Dane can be accessed online at www.greatdanetrailers.com.

PHOTO CUTLINES

SSL – California: Great Dane Trailers has partnered with the U.S. EPA SmartWay Program, working to achieve greater fuel efficiency by promoting the use of aerodynamic devices such as side skirts.

CorroGuard – Landing Gear: CorroGuard is a spray-in-place thermoplastic elastomeric coating applied to suspensions and landing gear that provides long-term protection from road abrasion and corrosion superior to other methods.