2023 Marks 10 Years of Sustainable Temperature Control Solutions That Reduce The Environmental Impact of Transportation
The transportation and safeguarding of food, medications and other perishable goods that people depend on each day is a vital function of the cold chain logistics industry. Understanding the connection between temperature, perishability, and transportation was one of the most notable advancements for Thermo King when the groundbreaking line of Precedent S-Series transport refrigeration units (TRU) made their debut in 2013.
As the global population continues to grow, so does the demand for food, medicine, and various temperature-sensitive goods, which challenges road, rail, and marine transportation. With the objective of guarding the public against the negative impacts of air pollution from these transportation modes, government agencies developed the Evergreen California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 engine compliance programs.
Thermo King responded and was the first in the transport temperature control industry to develop and release the S-Series TRU that combined the strongest standards for decreased emission targets in California. The Precedent S-Series still has an influence ten years later, and Thermo King Eastern Canada is proud to support and share this strong commitment to innovation for a more sustainable future with our customers.
Helping companies meet their sustainability goals
Transport refrigeration fleets can confidently incorporate Precedent S-Series units to maximize fuel efficiency while still adhering to the most recent Particulate Matter and NOx regulations. Since the Precedent S-Series was introduced, customers have prevented more than 6 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions by reducing the use of 600 million gallons of diesel fuel. This has helped lower global warming and improved air quality.
Another significant feature of the S-Series is the lack of a diesel particulate filter (DPF) which is an Evergreen CARB compliance option. Its improved 2-stage gasoline filtering system has a primary filter with a five-micron pore size resulting in 99% efficiency. Faster pull-down and recovery times enabled by the Smart Reefer® control system and three engine speeds help to optimize efficiencies at fresh and frozen temperatures. Fleet owners and operators also benefit from reduced engine run time, maintenance, and the associated costs and downtime.
The launch of the Precedent S-600 series and the S-700 series demonstrates Thermo King’s mission of innovating and improving the transport refrigeration industry. The Precedent S-Series product line is still evolving, which is evident in the most recent S-750i model. Updated with new features, such as a next-generation control system that offers precise temperature control and a hybrid diesel-electric architecture that is integrated with shore power, the Precedent S-750i is an excellent choice for temperature-controlled fleets that are using or considering long-term shore power operation.
Continued Innovation and Fresh Thinking
Thermo King believes that new ideas are not just welcomed; they are expected. Having invented transport temperature control in 1938, Thermo King has continued to offer numerous industry-leading advancements, including:
- Creating Cycle Sentry operation through customized settings for fan speeds, timers, and temperature range settings (more than 30 years ago).
- Introducing the first TRU to achieve Evergreen CARB and EPA Tier 4 engine compliance (2013).
- Becoming the first manufacturer to transition to a lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant, R452a (January 2022).
- Hybrid diesel-electric architecture with integrated shore power.
These innovations demonstrate Thermo King’s commitment to sustainability and reducing the environmental impacts on our people, operations, products, and services. Thermo King Eastern Canada is proud to share this commitment to the Canadian east coast and keep transported food and perishables safe and fresh while delivering efficient and reliable transport temperature control solutions.