"Shopko started specifying Great Dane trailers over 30 years ago," says Dan Tyczkowski, Fleet Manager of SVS/ShopKo Stores, headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin. "Almost all of the merchandise sold in our stores is delivered by our trailers and a fleet of 38 tractors from distribution centers in Depere, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska, and Boise, Idaho.

"Our high trailer to tractor ratio is due to our operating structure," Tyczkowski continues. "At the highly automated distribution centers, every door is dedicated to a store and is fed by overhead conveyors. There is a trailer at each door being loaded, at least one trailer at every store and others in transit at all times."

Great Dane vans in the ShopKo fleet date from 1985 to the newest 2007 models. "We plan for a minimum of 20 years of service from our trailers," Tyczkowski explains. "The newest units in the fleet are our 41 i-Van models that were delivered in the fall of last year as replacements for 1984 and 1985 units."

Insulated dry vans have been a mainstay at ShopKo because some of the merchandise hauled in the trailers is temperature sensitive. "With Great Dane's help, first using insulated Classic Freight Van models and now i-Vans designed with press-panel insulated technology and modular wall construction, we found that we could protect the cargo," Tyczkowski relates. "When it was introduced two years ago, we realized that the standard I-Van model met almost all of our needs."

To address other considerations its has for trailers ShopKo's new i-Van models feature Great Dane's PunctureGuard scuff band, which helps protect walls during loading and unloading. Another concern for the fleet is corrosion because of the northern climates it operates in regularly.

"We spec Todco Weather Tite roll-up rear doors and stainless steel rear frames, headers and bumper assemblies to help fight corrosion," Tyczkowski explains. "We also paint upper and lower rails and install double Mylar tape on all steel to aluminum bottom rail connections as extra protection.

"Previously," Tyczkowski continues, "our trailers were specified with a painted undercarriage to add an extra layer of corrosion protection where road debris chips the surface and opens the door to moisture. On the new I-Vans, we've specified Valspar's Dry-Flex undercoating, which is flexible. It can even be hit with a hammer and not expose bare metal."

ShopKo's trailer specifications also address the fleet's desire to eliminate as much maintenance as possible. "Our goal is to minimize service needs and only perform routine maintenance annually on our trailers,"

Tyczkowski notes. "For that reason we've specified items such as a Truck-Lite sealed wiring harness and LED lamps, as well as the Meritor Tire Inflation System (M.T.I.S.) by P.S.I."

Meritor is also the supplier of ShopKo's TP trailer axles and its RHP-11 slider/air suspension package, as well as its EX225 disc brake package. "As a trailer ages," Tyczkowski notes, "S-cam bushings and slack adjusters can rust, but the Meritor disc brake is an enclosed unit, in which all mechanisms are lubed and sealed at the factory. In addition, frozen lower brake shoes are fairly common during colder months in this part of the country but the disc brakes are not known for freezing."

Decisions like those made to adopt disc brakes are a clear indicator of the forward thinking that makes ShopKo such a valued customer, says Ron VanderMause, VP at Trudell Trailer Sales' Green Bay branch. "ShopKo is a very professional company managed by quality people," he states. "They have been a true business partner for many years, and throughout our long standing partnership we've enjoyed working with them."

"Great Dane trailers have been the best choice for our operation," Tyczkowski concludes, "because the manufacturer has the capability to build what we need and because of the excellent long term partnership ShopKo has with Trudell Trailer Sales. Everyone in their sales, service and parts departments works hard to meet our needs. With Great Dane, there’s never an issue, only solutions."

Great Dane i-Van
FEATURE	BENEFIT
Modular design with press-panel technology	Provides the smoothest flattest walls in the industry with minimum interior fasteners, as well as the most thermally efficient insulated van in the industry
Standard fiberglass reinforced plastic lining installed the full length of the trailer	Significantly reduces the number of fasteners as well as the maintenance time and cost over traditional plywood lined insulated vans
Traditional comb-style rear frame	Provides protection for hinges, lights, lock rods and door hardware, while also providing superior stiffness and rack resistance
Submerged roof bows on 32-inch centers	Reduces heat transfer and provides maximum strength and thermal efficiency, since the roof bows do not contact the roof skin
Optional one-inch dyplast foam insulation in floor in combination with a 4.25-inch upper coupler	Provides a more thermally efficient insulated floor versus a traditional spray foam between crossmembers
.050-inch PunctureGuard liner available as an option	Provides puncture-resistance in an ultra-thin liner to extend the life of the trailer