From its cakes, cookies and donuts to a variety of breads, the products of Pennsylvania-based George Weston Bakeries have been favorites with generations of consumers. Among them are well known brand names, including Arnold, Boboli, Brownberry, Entenmann’s, Freihofer, Maier’s, Stroehmann and Thomas’ English Muffins.
Inside the operation as well, another brand name is also highly popular-- that of Great Dane Trailers. Over the past few years, Great Dane has supplied over 400 trailers to Stroehmann Line Haul, the company’s private distribution fleet. Included are more than 300 SSL dry freight vans and about 100 other Great Dane models.
Most recently, Stroehmann purchased 104 48-ft SSL vans equipped with pintle hooks for use in New York State Thruway and Massachusetts Turnpike doubles operations of Freihofer and Entenmann’s bakeries. There was also an order of 100 53-ft SSL’s that are used to haul bread products for other parts of the operation. Spec’ed identically, the SSL’s have hardwood floors and are fitted with insulated roofs to protect the sensitive cargo from heat damage.
"Our fleet hauls baked goods on rolling racks from our plants to distribution locations where delivery trucks carry it to stores," explains Richard "Skip" Dunkelberger, regional fleet manager based in Reading, Pennsylvania. "The SSL has been our trailer of choice since 2005 because it provides the interior width we need to maximize load configuration and productivity, and because its unique interior lining eliminates the need to use wood on sidewalls, which can cause damage to bread packages. In my opinion, the SSL is a breakthrough in trailer technology."
Superior craftsmanship
There are other reasons that Stroehmann buys Great Dane trailers for its operation, according to Dunkelberger. "One of those is the overall superior craftsmanship of the trailers," he says. "That level of quality means the trailers will last longer, which is especially important to us as our business continues to grow."
"Another factor in our decision making process is the company behind these trailers," Dunkelberger concludes. "The people at the Mount Joy factory branch have been very helpful every step of the way and the plant staff in Danville, Pennsylvania – where the SSL’s are built – ensured that everything went perfectly with our trailer orders. We toured the plant before we ordered these trailers and again during the build andboth times we left very impressed by the efficiency of the manufacturing operation. As a partner, Great Dane is with us every step of the way."
With the unique construction of its single sided laminate interior lining, the Great Dane SSL is quickly becoming the trailer of choice for a growing number of fleets. Far more capable than plywood or plastic linings, the tough, one-of-a-kind steel lining provides superior protection against forklift damage, which can damage cargo and leave scarring that is visible on the outer wall.
The durable construction of the SSL’s interior lining–in either standard natural gray or optional white finishes – consists of a layer of .019-inch steel over a rigid core. The steel layer wraps the edges of the core to create an anti-snag surface. A rigid core bonded to the steel ply assures the interior will not wrinkle or easily crumple from repeated forklift impact.
When it comes to measuring the SSL’s interior lining strength, the numbers speak for themselves. With a lining puncture strength nearly six times greater than .25-inch domestic plywood and over four times greater than MDPE plastic, the Great Dane SSL provides unmatched durability.
|
