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Cape Cod Stranding Network - Aerotech® Panel Body
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Trailer/Body Builder magazine article on the Aerotech® service body.
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Doug Speeler, Jr., Speeler & Associates, Inc., LP108DABDW Low Profile Classic Series Service Body
“I love it.”
Reading Assists Stranding Network in Life-Saving Efforts
Company Name: Cape Cod Stranding Network
Reading Products: Aerotech® Panel Body
Type of Service: Marine mammal rescue
 When the topic of conversation turns to the utilization of service bodies, many things spring to mind. Tool storage, transporting equipment, and any accessory that a contractor needs are the first things one might use a service body for. Cape Cod Stranding Network, on the other hand, has found a very unique use for their new Reading Aerotech Panel Body - hauling marine mammals, such as seals and dolphins.
As a non-profit organization that responds when marine mammals come ashore sick or injured in Southeastern Massachusetts, they were in dire need of a new vehicle that could meet all of their unique requirements. A run-of-the-mill service body would not be able to meet their special hauling needs. When shopping around for a new body, there were many factors to consider. Factors that the average contractor need not think about.
“It was very important for us to be able to control the environment inside the vehicle as much as possible,” said Brian Sharp, Assistant Stranding Coordinator for the Stranding Network. “Controlling the environment while transporting a mammal is key in increasing the chance of rehabilitation for the animal.” Sharp explained that any stress reduction increases the animal’s chance at rehabilitation. The amount of stress an animal is under is directly proportionate to its chances of survival. He cited a couple of key factors that effect stress in the animals. A change in temperature is a primary source of stress and noise is a secondary one. Reading, however, was able to offer unique and beneficial solutions for the Stranding Network.
Reading’s engineering department devised a way to help increase ventilation by placing windows toward the back of the panel body and a vent in the roof. Mona Rock, an authorized Reading distributor in Pawtucket, RI from whom the body was purchased, placed insulation underneath the floor of the body to help keep road heat down and road noise to a minimum. The Stranding Network’s previous vehicle had a raised cap which was very loud and equipment storage was a problem, unlike the Aerotech® Panel body. Both the increased ventilation and noise/heat reduction play vital roles in saving the lives of marine mammals.
Cape Cod is one of the busiest stranding locations in the world. New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa are the only ones that compare. With 200 to 300 strandings a year in an area with 700 miles of coastline, a durable body that can withstand the corrosive nature of salt air is a must. Fortunately, Reading bodies are equipped to handle this daunting task.
The unit also features Reading’s exclusive powder coat paint. Reading is the only truck manufacturer utilizing this process in which high voltage state of the art spray equipment adheres fine polyester particles to every surface. The end result is a smooth and durable white finish allowing the body to withstand high levels of corrosion protection to salt, chemicals, humidity, scratching, and impact, far surpassing conventional paint top coats. This provides invaluable protection to the Stranding Network’s Aerotech®, considering its constant exposure to the coastline“s potentially destructive environment.
The body was customized with rope lighting in the side compartments as well as on the interior of the cargo area, which combined with dome lighting, helps decrease shadows. This is an important factor considering many stranding calls occur at night and they need to work on the animals in the cargo area. The interior of the body has Rhino Linings® sprayed on Tuff Stuff®, a polyurethane lining used on powder coated truck bodies. Rhino Linings® provides durable, watertight and airtight truck bed protection. By forming a permanent bond with the surface of the truck bed, the lining prohibits rust, corrosion and surface abrasion from damaging the truck and reducing its value, performance and attractiveness.
Sharp said that the Aerotech® Panel Body greatly aids their recovery efforts. “There is much more room in the Aerotech than there was in our previous truck, which had wasted space,” he stated. “We can store equipment in the compartments and lock it, which provides added security. Plus, it’s longer which allows us to carry larger dolphins.”
The Stranding Network stores a variety of supplies in the compartments including wet suits, blankets, safety vests, First Aid kits, road supplies, stretchers, and equipment bags. The cargo area provides ample room to store the kennels in which seals are transported.
One thing that has really stood out for Cape Cod, more than the body itself, is how Reading and Mona Rock treated and approached the project. “Reading and Mona Rock really got behind the project. They expressed interest in working with us and they put so much time into it,” Sharp said. “They treated us like a huge account, not a small non-profit organization with limited funds.”
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