Thermo King Cuts Fuel Consumption with New ECOmode for Advancer Trailer Refrigeration Units

New operating mode helps fleet operators significantly improve fuel efficiency, without having to compromise on reliable temperature control of cargo.

 Thermo King®, a leader in transport temperature control solutions and a brand of Trane Technologies, has introduced a new operating mode for its Advancer trailer refrigeration units. This latest feature, named ECOmode, offers customers a smart balance between tighter temperature control and reduced fuel consumption. By expanding the Advancer range’s operational flexibility, ECOmode enables transporters to optimise performance based on cargo sensitivity and delivery profile.

Adding to the existing Continuous and CycleSentry (start-stop) operating modes, ECOmode delivers fuel consumption reduced by up to 50% compared to continuous operation, while maintaining significantly tighter temperature control compared to CycleSentry mode. In ECOmode, the Advancer limits the temperature deviation from the set point and ensures sequential airflow to keep protecting the cargo.

This new operating mode is particularly suited to operations transporting goods that require tight, but not ultra-tight temperature control. It delivers improved temperature management than in the traditional start-stop mode, offering carriers the benefit of reduced operational costs while preserving cargo safety, integrity and compliance.

“At Thermo King, we are continuously innovating to help our customers reduce fuel consumption without compromising precious cargo. ECOmode adds to the features our customers already value in the Advancer range, such as industry-leading refrigeration capacity, temperature recovery and pulldown performance – all with complete transparency of fuel levels and consumption,” said Colm O’Grady, product leader Trailer at Thermo King. “We have introduced ECOmode to give more flexibility and control to fleet managers and help them reduce their operational costs.”

All Thermo King Advancer units offer complete transparency of fuel levels and consumption, accessible both on the unit and remotely via telematics. Thermo King’s TracKing platform is standard with every Advancer unit including two years of full, two-way telematics connectivity service.

Starting September 2025, ECOMode will be included as a standard feature on all new Thermo King Advancer units . It is also available as a software retrofit through the Thermo King dealer network.