Great Dane
Great Dane is a 125-year-old US manufacturer of refrigerated, dry van, and flatbed trailers and truck bodies, selling through an authorized dealer and service network across North and South America to foodservice, grocery, and freight fleet operators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1900
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Great Dane does
Great Dane LLC is a 125-year-old American manufacturer of commercial trailers and truck bodies, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company designs and produces a full product lineup organized across three categories: refrigerated (Everest reefer trailers; Alpine and Johnson truck bodies), dry vans (Champion trailers; Sahara truck bodies), and open deck flatbeds (Freedom). Its installed base exceeds 400,000 trailers, supported by an extensive authorized dealer and service network across North and South America. The company holds an estimated 17% share of the global truck trailer market, positioning it as the second-largest player behind Wabash.
The business operates primarily on a quote-based, custom-specification hardware sales model, supplemented by aftermarket parts and service revenue through its dealer network. Great Dane layers proprietary technology features onto its core products — including FleetPulse telematics (standard on every trailer), ThermoGuard composite liners, Microban-infused antimicrobial liners, SlipNot anti-slip flooring, LED strip lighting, and the Strata sidewall system — which the company markets as exclusive differentiators. Go-to-market is channel-led: most revenue flows through authorized dealers and service centers, with direct sales to large fleet operators and an online inventory/quote portal (buygreatdane.com). Key verticals served include foodservice, grocery, refrigerated truckload, dry freight truckload and LTL, and flatbed/industrial haul.
Recent activity indicates a company in operational transition alongside active defense of its domestic market. Mel Cohen was appointed Interim CEO in May 2026 and Diana Yan was appointed EVP/CFO in June 2026. Great Dane is a founding member of the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition, which has secured preliminary U.S. Commerce Department countervailing and antidumping duties on van-type trailer imports from China (82.3%–128.7% CVD; 130.76% AD) and Mexico (1.9%–1.95% CVD), and was named Penske Truck Leasing's 2025 Supplier of the Year. The Pennsylvania manufacturing plant reached a 25,000-unit milestone in May 2025, and a new Northeast parts and service facility opened in Sutton, Massachusetts in September 2025.
Great Dane firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Great Dane
- Legal name
- Great Dane LLC
- Website
- https://greatdane.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1900
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Great Dane is a 125-year-old US manufacturer of refrigerated, dry van, and flatbed trailers and truck bodies, selling through an authorized dealer and service network across North and South America to foodservice, grocery, and freight fleet operators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Great Dane industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Trailers and Truck Bodies
- NAICS
- Truck Trailer Manufacturing (336212), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (3362), Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers (42312), Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423740)
- SIC
- Truck Trailers (3715), Truck & Bus Bodies (3713), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Semi-Trailer Manufacturing (Dry Van/Reefer/Tanker/Lowboy) (IMACAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Truck Trailer Manufacturing (Dry Van/Reefer/Flatbed/Tanker) (IMACABAH), Heavy-duty truck, trailer & commercial vehicle parts distribution (CRAOANAJ)
Keywords
Where Great Dane is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Great Dane business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Trailer and Truck Body Sales: Great Dane manufactures and sells a complete lineup of trailers and truck bodies including reefers, dry vans, flatbeds, and specialized truck bodies. Revenue is generated through direct sales to fleet operators and through dealer network sales across North and South America.
- Aftermarket Parts and Service: The company provides parts, service, and maintenance support through its network of authorized dealers and service centers, supporting the installed base of trailers on the road.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom specifications and quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Great Dane product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Great Dane manufactures and sells a complete lineup of commercial trailers and truck bodies, including refrigerated reefers, dry vans, and flatbeds, along with specialized last-mile refrigerated truck bodies. The company also provides proprietary technology add-ons such as telematics (FleetPulse) and composite liner systems (ThermoGuard), and supports its installed base through aftermarket parts and service via an extensive North and South American dealer network.
Product overview
Great Dane manufactures a comprehensive lineup of trailers and truck bodies as a single unified product portfolio, organized across three product lines: Refrigerated (Everest trailers, Alpine and Johnson truck bodies for single and multi-temp applications), Dry Vans (Champion trailers and Sahara truck bodies available in sheet-and-post and composite configurations), and Open Deck (Freedom flatbeds in steel, combo, and aluminum). The portfolio is complemented by proprietary technology add-ons including FleetPulse telematics (standard asset tracking with optional real-time analytics), ThermoGuard thermal liner system, Microban-infused liners, SlipNot safety flooring, LED strip lighting, AnchorPoint mounting systems, and the Strata sidewall system. Great Dane's products serve multiple industry verticals including foodservice, grocery, dry freight truckload, LTL, and flatbed applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Everest: Single & Multi-temp refrigerated trailers
- Alpine
- Johnson
- Champion
- Sahara
- Freedom
- FleetPulse
- ThermoGuard
- Great Dane Cares
- ETT Magazine
Products and services
- Everest Single and multi-temp refrigerated trailer designed for precise temperature control and cold chain integrity in truckload applications, sold to fleet operators and dealers.
- Alpine Single and multi-temp refrigerated truck body for delivery applications requiring temperature-controlled cargo protection, targeting foodservice and grocery operators.
- Johnson Walk-in and reach-in series last-mile refrigerated truck bodies designed for foodservice delivery with easy-access loading.
- Champion Composite and sheet-and-post dry van trailers offering durability and weight efficiency for dry freight truckload and LTL applications.
- Sahara Composite and sheet-and-post dry freight truck body engineered for durability, uptime, and long-term performance in demanding delivery environments.
- Freedom Steel, combo, and aluminum flatbed trailers for heavy-duty and industrial load transportation.
- FleetPulse Trailer telematics and asset tracking solution offering real-time analytics, diagnostics, and fleet insights; included standard on every Great Dane trailer with optional subscription upgrades.
- ThermoGuard Exclusive composite trailer liner solution delivering thermal efficiency and lower reefer operating costs for refrigerated trailer applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- LED interior lighting 74% brighter than traditional dome lights
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Great Dane
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Great Dane technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Great Dane partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Penske Truck LeasingminorGreat Dane was honored as a 2025 Supplier of the Year by Penske Truck Leasing during its supplier conference in Frisco, Texas. Awards were determined through surveys of Penske field service locations, corporate feedback, and supplier scorecards.
- Platform SciencecoreGreat Dane is one of ten strategic partners in Platform Science's 2026 Connected Vehicle Lab North American roadshow. The roadshow features a 53-foot mobile demo trailer showcasing connected fleet technology. Great Dane participates to demonstrate innovations in fleet safety, connectivity, and operational efficiency.
- American Trailer Manufacturers CoalitioncoreGreat Dane is a founding member of the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition, alongside Stoughton Trailers LLC and Wabash National Corporation. The coalition filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions against van trailer imports from China, Canada, and Mexico, alleging unfair trade practices.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Great Dane competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hyundai Translead: Hyundai Translead is a direct peer manufacturing dry van and refrigerated trailers in North America, serving comparable TL and LTL customers. It competes head-to-head with Great Dane's Champion and Everest product lines across the dealer channel.
- Wabash National Corporation: Wabash National is Great Dane's largest direct competitor in North American trailers and truck bodies, holding 19% global market share vs. Great Dane's 17%. Both manufacture dry vans, refrigerated trailers, and truck bodies for fleet and dealer customers with overlapping product lines.
- Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company: Utility Trailer is a long-established direct peer manufacturing dry vans, reefers, and flatbeds for the North American truckload market. Its product portfolio, dealer network model, and customer base closely mirror Great Dane's Champion, Everest, and Freedom lines.
- Stoughton Trailers: Stoughton is a direct peer in dry van, refrigerated, and intermodal trailer manufacturing, serving similar North American fleet customers. It is also a co-founding member of the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition alongside Great Dane, indicating directly comparable trade and competitive positioning.
- Wilson Trailer Company: Wilson Trailer is a direct peer manufacturing grain, livestock, and platform/flatbed trailers for North American fleets. It overlaps with Great Dane's Freedom flatbed line and shares the same agricultural and industrial customer base.
- Vanguard National Trailer Corporation: Vanguard is a direct peer in dry van and refrigerated trailer manufacturing serving North American truckload fleets. Its product positioning and dealer-driven go-to-market overlap significantly with Great Dane's core trailer lines.
Broad incumbents
- Daimler Truck North America: Daimler Truck (Freightliner, Western Star) is a broad incumbent specifying trailers for its Class 6-8 trucks. It does not directly compete in trailer manufacturing but influences OEM specifications and represents an important channel partner for trailer makers like Great Dane.
- PACCAR Inc: PACCAR is a broad incumbent in commercial vehicles via Kenworth and Peterbilt, which directly specify and source trailers from manufacturers like Great Dane. While not a trailer OEM, it shapes purchasing preferences and represents a key customer ecosystem.
- Carrier Transicold: Carrier Transicold is the dominant manufacturer of transport refrigeration units integrated into reefer trailers like Great Dane's Everest line. While not a competing trailer maker, it is the primary component supplier and technology peer in the refrigerated trailer ecosystem Great Dane serves.
Emerging players
- Wabash (previously Supreme Industries) / Reading Truck Body: Reading Truck Body specializes in truck bodies and upfits for vocational fleets, partially overlapping with Great Dane's Sahara and Alpine refrigerated and dry freight truck body lines. It serves similar last-mile and delivery applications with a narrower product focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Great Dane social profiles
Digital presenceGreat Dane financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Great Dane leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Great Dane funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Great Dane M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Great Dane
What does Great Dane do?
Great Dane manufactures and sells a complete lineup of commercial trailers and truck bodies, including refrigerated reefers, dry vans, and flatbeds, along with specialized last-mile refrigerated truck bodies. The company also provides proprietary technology add-ons such as telematics (FleetPulse) and composite liner systems (ThermoGuard), and supports its installed base through aftermarket parts and service via an extensive North and South American dealer network.
Is Great Dane a public or private company?
Great Dane is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Great Dane founded?
Great Dane was founded in 1900. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Great Dane based?
Great Dane is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Great Dane make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Trailer and Truck Body Sales are the primary driver. The others are aftermarket Parts and Service.
Who are Great Dane's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hyundai Translead, Wabash National Corporation, Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, Stoughton Trailers, Wilson Trailer Company and Vanguard National Trailer Corporation. Broad incumbents are Daimler Truck North America, PACCAR Inc and Carrier Transicold. Wabash (previously Supreme Industries) / Reading Truck Body is listed as an emerging player.
Does Great Dane have an API?
No public API is recorded for Great Dane.
What industry is Great Dane in?
Great Dane's product category is Commercial Trailers and Truck Bodies. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAGAB, Semi-Trailer Manufacturing (Dry Van/Reefer/Tanker/Lowboy), with a secondary code of IMACABAH, Truck Trailer Manufacturing (Dry Van/Reefer/Flatbed/Tanker). Its NAICS code is 336212 and its SIC code is 3715.