Together with the Center for Composite Materials at the University of Delaware, Wabash will develop a refrigerated truck body/trailer solution made with composite materials and installed with lightweight solar panels.

The American manufacturer announced in September that it is adding two new third-party options to its semi-trailers: a lightweight brake drum from Accuride; and a liftgate battery charger from Schmitz Cargobull’s North American joint venture with Utility.

The ‘S.CU dc85’ is the latest model in Schmitz’s range of diesel-powered refrigeration units and is intended to replace the company’s current “top” model, the ‘S.CU 2.0’.

The ‘E-CoolPac’ integrates power electronics, controls, and battery modules in a single box, storing between 15 and 35 kWh of energy depending on the specification.

The new facility, covering 20,000 square feet, is located on the same site as the old facility in the Carrs Industrial Estate, which Solomon Commercials demolished following a fire in June 2023. 

Sunswap will use the money to support the further development, production, and commercialisation of its technology: solar panels mounted on the roof of a reefer trailer to supply energy to the refrigeration unit, thus reducing the fuel consumption of the whole truck-trailer combination.

The rear door sensor option is available with the Schmitz Cargobull refrigeration unit, which is offered exclusively by Utility with its 3000R reefer trailer.

Dubbed ‘Eco Nex Technology’, the box body on display at the show demonstrated Wabash’s capabilities in bringing down weight and cost in its truck bodies.

The latest update to the TracKing platform is the result of a collaboration with ZF Group which was first announced last year.

Between 12-13 June, Schmitz Cargobull AG hosted members of the press at its trailer factory in Vreden, located just on the border with the Netherlands. The ostensible reason for our visit was to receive a sneak preview of the company’s newest transport refrigeration product, which will be unveiled at the next IAA Transportation in Hanover: in fact, we learned much more about the company’s plans to expand and modernise its trailer factory, where it produces the ‘S.KO’ refrigerated models and the ‘S.BO’ dry freight range.

With Thermo King’s expertise in electrifying transport refrigeration, the partners aim to achieve reduced fuel consumption in diesel truck-trailers and increased range in electric combinations.

Through this partnership, Thermo King will offer refrigerated trailers to customers in the Americas which are powered – wholly or in part – by electric axles developed by Range.