More than doubling its current domestic refrigerated container fleet in 2019, Infinity Transportation Logistics (ITL) is adding two hundred 53-foot next-generation temperature-controlled intermodal containers with Thermo King's new SLXi-DRC refrigeration units to support and expand ITL's transportation offerings from and to Washington State and Oregon. The acquisition, which sets ITL up for the immediate future, will help the Company provide increased perishable and refrigerated cargo capacity, and meet increasing demand and sustainability goals.
More than 200 pounds lighter, Thermo King's SLXi-DRC refrigeration unit is a full seven inches slimmer on the exterior and is flush on the front interior wall. This allows an extra pallet row of cargo space in the container -- up to thirty 40x48-inch pallets -- and enables cargo hauling capacity of up to 44,000 pounds. ITL's new units will also be using next-generation R-452A, a lower-emission refrigerant that is the safest, most environmentally responsible, and technically and commercially viable replacement for current refrigerants in applications ranging from transport refrigeration to mobile air-conditioning.
"The new SLXi-DRC fleet will enable further growth in and out of the Pacific Northwest, an area where the additional cargo capacity will benefit shippers and receivers, and the use of a lower-emission refrigerant is particularly advantageous to reduce our carbon footprint," said Steve Lawson, Chief Commercial Officer of ITL, an EPA-approved SmartWay Transport Partner.
"All units will include Thermo King's TracKing® telematics, part of our Connected Solutions product portfolio, and will offer valuable visibility, history and reports that can be pulled directly from the TracKing website," said Kyle Kaiser, sales manager, Thermo King Christensen, ITL's home dealership in Omaha.
"Both our dealership and Rick Boily, Thermo King Strategic Rail Service manager, will be monitoring the units daily to not only ensure that the units are operating as expected but to keep track of preventive maintenance scheduling, container temperature fluctuations and more," continued Kaiser. "The visibility is the main benefit of TracKing, allowing us to take proactive measures if any issues do occur…but TracKing also allows us to set profiles and Opti-set parameters over the air. The technology has changed the game for the industry."
The new SLXi-DRC refrigeration units that have been recently built and installed on the ITL containers in partnership with T.K. Services, Inc., the Thermo King dealership in Los Angeles. These new intermodal containers are being put into service over several months in 2019, creating new capacity and density in various shipping lanes to and from Washington State and Oregon.
"ITL has a terrific long-term working relationship with Thermo King and its dealers across the country," said Lawson. "The products, services, technology and support offered by Thermo King are the primary reasons we decided to enhance our fleet with their units. We are excited about growing out business with Thermo King."
In addition to the new state-of-the-art intermodal containers with the new Thermo King refrigeration units, ITL has also recently added a new lane between Washington State/Oregon and Minnesota, which will serve shippers and receivers in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) area and surrounding cities within about 150 miles of MSP.
ITL's expedited door-to-door transit times (to or from Washington State and Oregon) are four to five days to or from the Midwest, five to six days to or from Texas, and only seven days to or from various destinations on the East Coast. ITL's transit times are nearly as fast as long-haul trucks. The company hauls various frozen, fresh, refrigerated and temperature-controlled products as well as dry products.
This article appeared in Yahoo! Finance.
