A produce broker and the world’s largest seller of okra, Greenfield, Tennessee-based Akin and Porter uses the 110 tractor-trailer combinations in its private fleet to haul products to customers from its distribution facilities in Tennessee, Thomasville, Georgia, Lakeland, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois. To help lower costs and reduce empty mileage, the vehicles also backhaul freight for other shippers.

Still active in the business he founded with his brothers in 1955, Porter handles all fleet purchases personally. "We’ve only operated Kenworth tractors, and since 1958 every trailer in our fleet has been a Great Dane model," he says. "That’s because the manufacturer has stayed a step ahead of its competition by offering not only the best trailer on the market but also the best service and support. From the factory to the Memphis branch we’ve done business with all these years for sales, service and parts, Great Dane treats us right all the way through the company."

The latest trailers to join the Akin and Porter operation are 53-ft by 102-inch Stainless Steel Super Seal reefers. On average, the company operates trailers for seven years and replaces between six and 12 units annually. Standard specifications include Thermo King refrigeration units and six-finger ceiling mounted ducts, Hendrickson axle, brake and air suspension systems, and 11R24.5 Michelin tires mounted on aluminum disc wheels.

Essentially a break bulk operation, Porter makes specific choices for his fleet’s Super Seals to help offset the wear that can be caused by forklifts and very frequent loading and unloading. For example, an Extreme Heavy Duty duct floor and a 16-inch high scuffband on walls are specified, while angle braces are also added to the top corners of rear frames.

For the past two years, Akin and Porter has also been specifying Great Dane’s PunctureGuard scuffbands and interior lining. The lightweight option is a strong, remarkably rigid and incredibly thin damage barrier created from a unique and innovative manufacturing process that thermally joins woven polypropylene and glass fibers into continuous rigid panels. Also, because PunctureGuard does not contain fillers such as glass spheres or clay that confine dirt and other contaminants, cleaning the trailer interiors to ensure product integrity is much easier.

"The Great Dane Super Seal provides many advantages for us because of its strength in a very demanding application and because its stainless steel finish helps boost our company’s image," Porter states. "At the same time, we like to maintain relationships with suppliers that support us in addition to providing excellent equipment. For almost 40 years we've only operated Great Dane trailers because they pay off for us in the long run in many ways."