Founded in 1948 with a single truck by Delmont Hartt, who still serves as the carrier's CEO, Bangor, Maine-based Hartt Transportation provides dry general truckload freight service for customers in all 48 contiguous states, as well as Ontario, Quebec, and Maritime Canada. The fleet of 400 tractors and 1,100 trailers includes 600 P-Series Dry Freight Vans, as well as some Great Dane Classic models.

"In addition to the growing volume of freight we handle on a for-hire basis," Hartt notes, "dedicated service now makes up about 50 to 60 percent of our business. To meet our customers' needs and attract new business, we rely on Great Dane because they provide durable, reliable trailers at a very favorable price."

Specified by Hartt along with Todd Cotier, director of maintenance, Hartt Transportation's Great Danes are built in the Brazil, IN and Danville, PA manufacturing facilities and supplied by Atlantic Great Dane, a dealership located in South Portland, Maine. Sales representative Tim Prouty has been working closely with the fleet for the past five years to ensure that specification needs are met and warranty issues are addressed. The dealer also maintenance operation, delivering to the fleet 125 miles away at least once each week.

The 53-ft P-Series vans purchased by Hartt meet a mix of needs for the fleet. "While the trailers are built with the durability required by a large fleet," Hartt says, "Great Dane has also worked with us to meet requirements presented by some of our customers. For example, we haul about 60 loads per day of paper and bottled water that can reach maximum payload, so Great Dane has engineered an extra crossmember and enabled us to utilize Michelin X One single wide base tires in place of traditional dual tire and wheel assemblies. These specs let us handle the heavy load and save weight, which means we can get an extra pallet on per load. This is also the perfect example of how we can benefit from the expertise of our dealer and Great Dane."

Next on Hartt's agenda are two specifications it is considering for future P-Series purchases. One, based on requirements by paper mills, is to boost strength and reduce weight by spec'ing composite Havco floors. In addition, the fleet is also considering adding the Meritor Tire Inflation System (M.T.I.S.) by P.S.I. to keep tires at the correct pressure and send elevated wheel end temperature warnings to drivers.

Opportunities to evaluate new trailer specifications come about regularly at Hartt as the carrier purchases at least 100 new Great Danes each year. "We've bought that many in each of the past five years," Hartt relates, "and most of those were to meet our growth needs. For example, we opened a facility in South Carolina recently with 18 vehicles. Today, there are 48 units in that location and our growth plan calls for fielding 70 tractors and about 200 trailers there by this fall."

Due in part to its ongoing growth, Hartt replaces very few trailers annually, and while the carrier has a ten-year life cycle planned those it has been retiring are about 15 years old. "That's one reason we stick with Great Dane for our trailer needs," Hartt states. "They hold up very well because they are designed, tested and built properly in the first place."

More than just providing what he calls "a product that works for us," Billy Hartt is quick to compliment everyone at Great Dane. "The support we have from the company's senior management to the engineering staff, the production employees and the people at Atlantic Great Dane has been absolutely great," he remarks. "They've not only been more than accommodating and have taken care of us one hundred percent of time, it's obvious they have a lot of pride in what they do."

Great Dane P-Series
Dry Freight Van

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Durable and lightweight, Great Dane P-Series Dry Freight Vans are designed with features and options to help fleets enhance productivity and lower costs. Among the key features and benefits of Great Dane P-Series Dry Freight Vans are the following:

• Welded Buckplate that provides rear impact and hinge protection, and beveled end plate caps floor to prevent water intrusion
• Steel Rain Gutters that divert water to sides, and an extruded edge cap seals the perimeter of the roof for added protection against damage and leaks
• Sturdy Rear Frame made of high-strength steel and a steelreinforced rear header minimize racking and ensure that the frame remains square throughout the life of the trailer
• Front Impact Plate of extruded aluminum eliminates the potential for rust while its heavy-duty rolled-lip protects front of upper coupler from 5th wheel impact
• Hardwood Floor- 1-3/8-inch thick- contributes to significant weight savings
• Aluminum Options including roof bows, side posts and scuffbands, add to weight savings