Frosty temperatures quickly lead to snow and ice on the tarpaulin roof. And removing all of the ice and snow from the vehicle roof and the trailer tarpaulin is a dangerous and often difficult to carry matter on the road, as proper tools often are not available at truck stops and rest areas that the driver can use to remove ice before setting off.
The Krone Ice-Protect system is designed to address the problem for the Germain trailer manufacturers customers.
"Falling ice slabs from truck roofs are not only dangerous, they are a major problem for haulage companies every day in winter,” said Frank Albers, Krone's managing director marketing and sales. “The Krone Ice-Protect system preventively prevents snow and ice from forming on the roof tarpaulin. The system increases the traffic and operational safety of the fleet and thus the safety of all road users."
The driver can directly manage the Krone Ice-Protect system via a control panel attached to the front wall of the vehicle. Then an air hose located centrally between the roof tarpaulin and the crossbar is filled with air from the on-board compressed air system and the roof tarpaulin is raised by almost 7 inches, according to Krone. This forms a kind of “saddle roof” so that water and snow slides off the tarpaulin when the vehicle is stationary. This counteracts possible ice formation.
The filling time after activating Krone Ice-Protect is about 90 seconds. Before driving off, the hose lowers again at the push of a button or by actuating the brake, and the tarpaulin roof returns to its original state—free of snow and ice.
The Krone Ice-Protect system is available for all curtainsider semi-trailers, but can also be easily retrofitted, the company noted. The purchase can be subsidized through the "De-minimis" subsidy where applicable. In addition, some insurance companies grant a reduction in insurance premiums if trailers are equipped with the Ice-Protect system, according to Krone.