2013 Fall A Matter of Degrees - Thermo King

Fall 2013
A publication for the over-the-road transport temperature control industry.
No Room for Error
Performance, Appearance and Service all
Linked for Western Distributing Transportation
W
ith roots that can be traced back to the post-repeal
days of 1933, Western Distributing’s heritage and core
leadership values have been passed down through the
Guido Mapelli family, positioning the company for continued
growth that has carried it into a fourth generation. From the
start, quality, dependable service was a must, a tradition that is
ensured by running a fleet second to none.
continued on page 6 ...
Page 2-3 Mckinney Trailer Rentals Partners
with Thermo King
Page 4 Sheetz Inc. Wins Energy Efficiency Award
Page 5 TracKing Telematics Now Compatible with
TMW Systems and AOS Software
Page 8 “Share Your TriPac Story” Winners Announced
Providing Value, Real Advantages
to Customers
Mckinney Trailer Rentals Partners with Thermo King
L
ongtime Thermo King customer Mckinney Trailer
Rentals, has relied on Thermo King’s quality products
and service for nearly 20 years to provide dependable
trailer refrigeration performance to its customers. As
a growing regional rental and leasing company, Mckinney
delivers genuine value to customers by offering state of the
art equipment and technology. The company’s recent purchase
of 56 new Thermo King Precedent™ S-600 trailer units with
TracKing™ telematics and SVC Thermo Gard™ Assurance are the
most recent example of Mckinney’s commitment to state of the
art technology and equipment for their customers.
“To stay competitive in the transportation industry, we
strive to provide the products and technology that will help
protect our customers from costly repair expenses and damaging
downtime,” said Casey Sherman, operations manager, Mckinney
Trailer Rentals. “Thermo King’s new Precedent technology is
incredible, setting a new standard in transport refrigeration. The
TracKing telematics system gives our customers more flexibility
in this very competitive and cost sensitive business. It will
allow real-time monitoring of the trailer and refrigeration unit
sparing our customers the inconvenience of manually tracking
their units. The Thermo Gard Assurance maintenance package
is a worry free solution for Mckinney. Basically, a fixed rate
covers us nationwide for anything the unit may need – whether
it is preventive maintenance or a repair. We are covered by any
Thermo King dealer at any time.”
Mckinney Trailer Rentals, which operates 13 locations in
Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and Texas, took
delivery of the new units mounted on 53-foot Utility trailers, in
May.
2
A Matter of Degrees
Precedent
The Precedent units are equipped with a SmartPower™ electric
stand-by prep package. “This is a huge advantage for our
company as it doubles our options and allows our customers
more flexibility. Because we operate throughout the West Coast
and Texas, we have many customers doing business in California.
The ability to run off shore power is an important and beneficial
feature to offer to Mckinney customers,” said Sherman.
The Precedent S-600 is a greater-than-25 horsepower single
temperature unit with an evergreen engine for use in California.
Part of Thermo King’s new Precedent trailer platform, the S-600
is designed to be fully compliant with the new EPA Tier IV final
regulations, while delivering double-digit fuel savings through an
all-new diesel-direct electric architecture.
TracKing
TracKing is a web-based asset management system which
provides the ability to remotely monitor and track un-tethered
refrigerated units in a fleet. “The addition of TracKing allows us
to provide an extra feature to our customers not available by
most leasing companies,” said Sherman. “Real-time monitoring
offers customers the assurance that their product is safe and
quality is maintained throughout a trip. It also allows us to be
proactive in maintenance schedules and more efficient in billing
cycles. We can download all data on unit performance and run
times quickly and easily.”
Thermo Gard Platinum Assurance
A Thermo Gard Silver (centralized billing) customer for nearly
10 years, Mckinney Trailer Rentals decided to upgrade to the
Platinum Premier program. Thermo King’s SVC Platinum Premier
is an extended warranty program that goes beyond the standard
product warranty policy. It provides certified Thermo King
service across North America, accurate cost projections, genuine
Thermo King parts, coverage for all major components, increased
unit uptime, no-hassle claims processing, convenience and no
worries.
“We are excited about the Thermo Gard Platinum Premier
Assurance package because it gives us a fixed maintenance cost
to operate our business from … there will be no surprises,”
explained Sherman.” It was the perfect time to move to the
Platinum Premier package because of the new technology
Precedent is bringing to our fleet. We do not have to invest in
training technicians or parts inventory. We can leave the service
and maintenance to the professionals at Thermo King. We know
that the units will be serviced properly and on schedule. We
also know any issues will be taken care of quickly. It really is the
ultimate assurance for Mckinney and our customers.”
Mckinney Trailer Rentals has been the number one choice for
excellent service and quality equipment to the transportation
industry across the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years.
Thermo King Northwest is Mckinney’s local Thermo King dealer.
“We appreciate Mckinney Trailer’s business and partnership,”
said Brandon Pugh, Thermo King Northwest owner. “They are
a company focused on prompt and value-added service. When
it comes to the reefer side of their business, they depend on
Thermo King products and services to deliver … We are proud
to partner with them and of their belief in Thermo King.”
More information on the Precedent trailer unit platform,
TracKing telematics system and SVC Thermo Gard Assurance
programs can be found at
www.thermoking.com.
Learn more about Mckinney Trailer Rentals at
www.mckinneytrailers.com.
“There’s no room in
my operation for
second guessing.”
INTRODUCING
TRIPAC ™
EVOLUTION
We’ve built a reputation on providing only the most
efficient, cost-effective products. And the TriPac™
Evolution is no exception. Featuring improved fuel
savings, the longest maintenance intervals in the
industry and our unmatched dealer network, we’ve
done everything in our power to make sure it’s the
only APU choice worth considering. Learn more at
www.thermoking.com
ThermoKing
KingCorporation
Corporation
Thermo
3
Energy Efficiency
Leader Award
Thermo King RECOGNIZES Sheetz Inc.
A
customized delivery fleet of 52 Thermo King multitemperature Sprinter vans is saving Sheetz Inc.,
an Altoona, Pa.-based, family-owned convenience
restaurant chain operation, more than 148,000 gallons of diesel
fuel annually compared to conventional box delivery solutions.
This innovative distribution method is just one example
of Sheetz’s commitment to sustainability and energy and
operational efficiency. The Sheetz Sprinter van fleet travels 5.6
million miles a year, making 160,000 deliveries.
In recognition of Sheetz’s outstanding efforts to increase
the company’s environmentally sound practices, Thermo King
recently presented the company with the “Energy Efficiency
Leader Award”. Sheetz is the first ever convenience retail chain
to win the award.
Sheetz added the vans to its larger fleet in 2012 to support
distribution of baked goods from its Sheetz Bros. kitchen bakery
and commissary. This facility was designed to increase efficiency
Shown here at the awards event are (from left): Rick Boes, service
manager, Thermo King Pittsburgh; Jack Anna, sales manager, Thermo
King of Pittsburgh; Tony Passanita, transportation equipment
supervisor, Sheetz; Stephanie Greiner, transportation efficiencies
manager, Sheetz; John DiVito, director of transportation, Sheetz; Steve
Duckworth, Thermo King district sales manager; Ray Pittard, president
of Thermo King North America; Stan Sheetz, president and chief
executive officer of Sheetz; Robert E, Price Jr., president of Thermo King
of Pittsburgh.
and variety of products for customers at all Sheetz locations.
The company wanted to ensure availability of its award-winning
menu and to deliver on its promise to offer superior customer
service.
The vans provide the precise multi-temperature delivery
conditions needed to ensure product freshness and maintain
shelf life for deliveries to the more than 450 Sheetz locations
spread across Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Virginia and West Virginia.
4
A Matter of Degrees
“Delivering fresh products to every single Sheetz location
every single day is a critical piece of our operations,” said Stan
Sheetz, president and chief executive officer, Sheetz. “We
have to make sure to meet our quality standards with each
delivery. We’re pleased that Thermo King has provided us with
a temperature precision solution to meet these standards while
also saving money and minimally impacting the environment.”
Sheetz leaders; Thermo King; Thermo King of Pittsburgh,
the local dealer; and Arctic Vans collaborated to develop a
solution that incorporated a highly efficient multi-temperature
refrigeration unit with electric standby, custom air distribution
and an auxiliary Espar heating system. The heating unit delivers
exceptional temperature recovery in extreme cold conditions and
the electric standby option enables the unit to be plugged while
loaded at the distribution center, saving more than 85,000 gallons
of fuel each year.
The refrigeration units increase distribution efficiency and
flexibility by allowing highly efficient, multi-temperature
transport. Designed to provide the capacities needed for
smaller trucks and vans, the refrigeration units allow controlled
temperature settings for dual-temperature zone transportation.
The configuration is adjustable; it can be fresh-fresh, freshfrozen, frozen-fresh, or frozen-frozen.
The refrigeration unit also provides an environmentallysound transport refrigeration choice suitable for metropolitan
deliveries, since it is powered by the vehicle rather than an
additional diesel engine. The Sheetz Inc. fleet of heavy duty
trucks also features energy-efficient multi-temperature
refrigeration units with door sensors to maximize energy and
operational efficiency.
More information about Sheetz Inc. can be found at
www.sheetz.com.
To learn more about Thermo King’s refrigeration solutions, visit
www.thermoking.com.
Thermo King’s
Compatible
with TMW Systems and AOS Software
Partnerships make full fleet monitoring easy and efficient
T
hermo King is pleased to announce the integration of
its TracKing™ telematics system with TMWSuite® and
TruckMate®, products of TMW Systems, Inc., and with
Add On Systems’ (AOS) iSeries software. TracKing, TMW and AOS
customers who want to monitor cargo integrity and refrigeration
unit up-time now have the flexibility of accessing their refrigerated
fleet data in ONE system.
TMW Systems, Inc. is the leading provider of transportation
management software to transportation and logistics companies.
AOS, Inc. is a provider of AS/400/iSeries software for the
truckload carrier market.
TracKing captures mission critical data like cargo temperature,
Thermo King refrigeration unit parameters, real-time alarms,
trailer location, door openings, and fuel levels, displaying it on
TMW or AOS product user screens. The modules are then able
to notify customers in near real-time using customized alerts,
reporting when a refrigeration unit alarm or event occurs.
Users of either software system will continue to access the
TracKing web interface for value-added features like remote
download of the Thermo King controller and datalogger, remote
OptiSet™ Plus to pre-set refrigeration unit parameters based on
cargo profiles, and Wi-Fi capability, as well as retain
full two-way control over their refrigerated fleet.
“Valuable partnerships like the ones we have with TMW
Systems and AOS are part of a robust 3rd party software
integration plan Thermo King has in place to ensure TracKing
meets our customers’ needs for fleet uptime, increased
operational efficiency, and improved on-time delivery,”
said Gayatri Abbott, director of smart products and
telematics for Thermo King.
Thermo King’s TracKing is a sophisticated, web-based
refrigerated trailer and temperature monitoring system that
provides end-to-end visibility of cargo and assets over the road,
on rail cars and in the yard. It enables refrigerated fleets to
protect their assets, lower operating costs, and improve response
time while maintaining the highest food safety and quality
standards.
For more information on TMW Systems, Inc. and Add On Systems, Inc., visit
www.tmwsystems.com
and www.adddonsystems.com.
More information about TracKing can be found on
www.thermoking.com.
Thermo King Corporation
5
No Room for Error
... continued from page 1
“In 1977, my father and current president and CEO, Vieri
Gaines, purchased six brand new, top of the line Peterbilt tractors
in what has become Western’s trademark blue color,” said Dino
Guadagni, vice president of Western Distributing Transportation
Company (WDTC). “He matched them with the industry’s
best-available trailers and hired six of the most experienced
drivers around, paying them salary. Running the finest, most
dependable equipment attracted the dependable drivers and
resulted in service levels second to none.”
That strategy has been carried out throughout the 18 business
divisions that today encompass Western Distributing Company.
In fact, Gaines has given new meaning to the term ‘best.’ An
NHRA drag racing driver, Gaines understands that there is
no room for error, in racing and in business, especially in his
refrigerated division where cargo temperatures and transport
time is critical.
“Early on in our refrigerated division we decided to go
with Thermo King refrigeration units due to reliability, quality
performance and technology. The units also bring us great
re-sale value, which helps us constantly cycle in the latest,
most advanced equipment. Our partnership with Thermo King
continues today and we are excited to be adding 46 brand new
Precedent™ trailer units to our fleet,” said Guadagni.
Precedent Units Offer Sleek Look, Fuel Savings
and Lifelong Compliance
WDTC began testing the latest Thermo King technology last
fall. Working with home dealer Thermo King of Denver, WDTC
was able to add the paint, pin striping and chrome to the test
6
A Matter of Degrees
units, maintaining the impeccable style that defines its fleet.
“That’s the kind of relationship we have,” continued Guadagni,
“Thermo King understands our values, needs and service level
commitments.”
“The Precedent units have not disappointed. They are really
sleek looking, and we love the optional chrome and lighting. But
even more importantly, the non-expiring California Air Resources
Board (CARB) compliance and the fuel savings made the choice
easy for us. In fact, we just recorded a deep double-digit fuel
savings on a beer load test with one of the new S-600 Precedent
units, confirming the unit’s performance. That’s exciting. And the
TracKing™ cellular tracking capability, which can be integrated
with our TMW software, was an added bonus that will help us
maintain the service levels we strive to withhold,” said Guadagni.
Another bonus Guadagni has learned has to do with CARB
reporting requirements. As he enters his new Precedent units
into the ARB Equipment Registration (ARBER) system, data
automatically populates after entering the unit serial number,
saving him valuable time when entering the data.
“This is because Thermo King Corporate provides unit and
engine information to CARB each month for the Transport
Refrigeration Unit (TRU) Original Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) Report,” said Erich Lucht, Thermo King engine
applications engineer. “This is a requirement of the CARB
Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM), which sets emissions
standards for TRU equipment. We provide all TRU data so
when the customer goes into the ARB Equipment Registration
(ARBER) system they need only enter the serial number and the
remaining TRU information auto fills, saving time and increasing
data accuracy. It definitely makes customers’ lives easier. The
OEM data collecting requirement has been in effect since 2012
and affects all TRUs and TRU gensets.”
Precedent S-Series models are the only trailer unit today
that complies with CARB’s Ultra-Low-Emission Transport
Refrigeration Unit In-Use Performance Standards (ULETRU).
The Precedent S-600 model features a greater-than-25
horsepower engine with emission control technologies that
minimize fuel consumption and deliver lifelong emissions
compliance. Components that put Precedent in a class by itself
include microchannel condenser coils, common rail fuel injection,
proven diesel direct electric, reciprocating compressor, diesel
oxidation catalyst, exhaust gas recirculation, SmartPower™
temperature control in electric standby situations, fuel tank
choices available with the Ultra Sonic Fuel Level Sensor to avoid
out of fuel situations, and much more.
Options chosen by WDTC to further complement its custom
painting and pin striping include chrome grills, LED lighting,
triple combo lights, 30-gallon fuel tank to save on trailer weight
and allow for better fuel economy, and the TracKing telematics
system.
TracKing™ and SVC Offer Peace of Mind
Thermo King’s embedded TracKing REB telematics
communication platform gives WDTC the ability to monitor
and manage their new trailers both over-the-road and in the
yard. “We like being able to check up on the refrigeration units,
ensure the driver selected the right mode, and report back to the
customer information such as temperature, location and delivery
time,” said Guadagni. “This is another way to deliver excellent
customer service.”
WDTC also benefits from Thermo King’s SVC Thermo Gard™
Assurance and its customizable fleet management options.
“WDTC has been a subscriber to SVC’s Silver program for eight
years. Combined with Precedent’s improved reliability and lower
maintenance costs, this guaranteed maintenance program is more
affordable than ever,” said Mark Schultz, Thermo King of Denver
general manager.
WDTC’s refrigerated fleet consists of 168 Kenworth, Peterbilt
and Lonestar International trucks and 262 Utility trailers today.
The company’s success is intimately connected to quality, nicelooking equipment that attracts responsible, committed drivers,
instills pride throughout the company, performs reliably and
acquires a great resale price on the backend allowing the entire
cycle of success to continue.
“It really comes down to sensible management,” said Schultz.
“The WDTC family understands that money will be saved in the
end if they run a quality fleet. They have a great retention rate
because they treat employees well and give them equipment
to be proud of... They enjoy a low cost of ownership because
they take care of their equipment and maintain a disciplined
trade cycle to ensure quality product deliveries and high re-sale
values. We appreciate their trust and partnership.”
Learn more about WDTC on its website
www.wdtc.net.
Or check out a recent feature American Trucker did on the company at
www.speedtv.com/programs/american-trucker/
american-trucker-video/#playerAnchor.
Racing for Success
Successful drag racer and owner of WDTC, Vieri Gaines Jr.
has had racing in his blood for more than 40 years. His love
for speed and flash date back to his very first car, which
featured drag racing slicks on it. In the NHRA drag racing
world, competition is fierce and the difference between
winning and losing is just hundredths of a second. Often,
it’s the smallest engine adjustment or choice of a product /
part that can affect performance. No doubt, this competitive
mentality has transferred into Gaines’ businesses, most
of which are transportation industry-related and some of
which directly support his racing passion. (see list).
His selection of top products and vendors are a direct
correlation to business success and quality service, as well as
his signature paint, chrome and lighting choices.
“Our family has always been ‘car and truck nuts.’ And
just like in racing, we believe the best equipment yields the
best results, and allows us to cross the finish line first,” said
Dino Guadagni, vice president of WDTC and son of Gaines.
Learn more about NHRA Drag Racing and
Gaines, the racecar driver, at
www.nhra.com/drivers/pro-stock/Vieri-Gaines/
The Companies that Make Up
Western Distributing
Western Distributing
Company
WDTC – Reefer Division
USAC – Armored Carrier
Western Auto Transport
Western Towing and
Recovery
Fineline Graphics
Madcap Racing Engines
Car-Z Custom
GRP Racing Components
Winberg Crankshafts
Wilson Chassis
Lazarus Chassis
Western Importers
Western Motorsports
Laramie Peak Motors
Western Travel
Black Diamond Media
Productions
Gibtech Pistons
Thermo King Corporation
7
A Matter Of Degrees
©2013 Ingersoll-Rand , plc
A publication for the
over-the-road transport temperature control industry.
Editor: Mike O‘Brien
Managing Editor/Writer:
Shannon O’Neill
Layout and Design:
Todd Gillenwaters
For more information,
contact Michael O’Brien
at 952-885-3505 or
[email protected]
Thermo King Corporation
314 West 90th Street,
Minneapolis, MN 55420
www.thermoking.com
Thermo King Announces Winner of the
“Share Your TriPac™ Story” Contest
I
TK 55795-8-MS
n honor of the Thermo King’s recent launch of the TriPac™ EVOLUTION APU, a Share Your
TriPac Story contest was held allowing customers to provide feedback on their experiences
with Thermo King’s TriPac product line. The contest ran from June 7 through August 2 and
attracted numerous entries from customers throughout the U.S. The winner was chosen based on
their ability to convey their passion for the TriPac through their written story and a photo, and
received a new iPad Mini!
The winners were Jennifer and Nick Marcu, proud TriPac APU owners who have experienced
many positives since they purchased their TriPac APU in the fall of 2012.
Last October, Nick had back surgery and needed warmth for his recovery, and the couple
found themselves spending lots of money to frequently idle their truck. They purchased a TriPac
unit to save on the fuel costs, as well as to reduce wear and tear on their engine. With their
savings, Jennifer and Nick purchased a refrigerator and microwave using their extra energy
source to cook healthier meals for themselves while on the road. As a result, they have lost more
than 50 pounds between the two of them. Their TriPac unit has not only saved them lots of
money, but also helped them find a healthier lifestyle.
Additional contest entries can be found on Thermo King’s Facebook and Twitter pages.