Proving It Works: How All-Electric Cold Plate Technology Is Delivering in Texas
Texas-based Hill Country Dairies supplies milk, butter, eggs, cheese, and even beverages to restaurants, schools, and hotels across the state. Since the 1970’s, the company has grown over the years, covering much of the state, including branches in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Victoria.
The company has a fleet of Great Dane Johnson refrigerated truck bodies with an AE, all-electric refrigeration system using cold plate technology. The body is a composite construction, customized to their needs and application.
“We have worked closely over the years with Hill Country’s management, ownership, and fleet team to understand their cold chain requirements and develop the right solution for their business,” says Eduardo Navarro, Great Dane National Sales. “With the AE systems, they are not only reducing their operating costs—especially considering that a traditional diesel-powered refrigeration unit consumes 1.5 to 2 gallons of fuel per hour—but they are also significantly lowering their environmental impact. The AE system delivers meaningful savings and a more sustainable approach to refrigerated transport.”
We recently had a conversation with Toby Spinks, who serves as the company’s Distribution Manager and Steve Gerrish, General Manager. They shared that many people said equipping their refrigerated truck bodies with all-electric cold plate technology wouldn’t work in Texas.
Great Dane: Let’s start from the beginning, since some people are surprised that a Texas-based company would choose an all-electric cold plate solution. How did you come to that decision?
Toby Spinks: For us, it makes sense to use electric cold plate technology. It gives our drivers less to worry about because it’s easier to maintain and it’s reliable. We can make it through an entire workday without having to plug in.
Great Dane: Driver retention is so important, especially now. You mentioned that your drivers appreciate the ease of maintenance that cold plate technology offers. Are there any other benefits the truck bodies provide for your drivers?
Toby Spinks: In addition to less preventive maintenance, they appreciate that there’s no diesel smell and less noise than traditional forced-air refrigerated trucks. The compressor is much quieter than diesel, and less noise pollution also means there are more places we can deliver at night because we don’t have to worry about people complaining about the noise.
Our Johnson truck bodies are also thermally efficient.
Great Dane: What about sustainability benefits?
Toby Spinks: We care about the environment, but we also greatly appreciate that all-electric is easier to maintain.
Great Dane: What cost of ownership benefits have you seen when you swapped old truck bodies on a new chassis?
Steve Gerrish: We swap older truck bodies on new chassis every year because there isn’t the need for a new diesel refrigeration unit, which basically doubles our lifespan. Our truck bodies always outlast our chassis, and not having to replace them is a considerable cost savings for us.
Ease of maintenance, driver satisfaction, and reliable efficiency are some of the benefits the team at Hill Country Dairies experiences using all-electric cold plate technology on their Johnson truck bodies.
Want to learn more about Johnson refrigerated truck bodies? Start here.
