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Portable cooler designed by ex-truckie helps battle heat on the road

Designed by company founder and second generation truckie Peter Donegan back in 2001, he calls it a “jack of all trades unit that can be used while stationary or on the go”.

A former long distance truck driver, Peter came up with the idea for the Transcool portable cooler while sweltering in the truck cabin one balmy summer night.

“At the time I was doing the Melbourne to Brisbane express run. I was finding it impossible to stay cool while I was sleeping in the truck,” he said.

“On that particular night, it was especially hot, so I started drawing up some sketches and plans for a personal cooler – and it just went from there. Now we’re selling these personal coolers worldwide.”

Peter’s family has a strong background in trucking, with father and uncles also having worked in the industry as truck drivers. For Peter, he started out driving trucks and went on to manage the family’s transport business, while at the same time building up a new business of his own – Transcool.

“Once I had the idea, I needed to get people to make the parts and then it went from there. It started as a hobby and then became a full time job within about five years.”

Based in Kyneton in Central Victoria, Peter started manufacturing the Transcool product from his garage, before eventually moving into a dedicated factory in the town.

Company founder Peter Donegan is a former long distance truck driver. Image: Transcool

His unique concept has become a convenient and low cost option for trucks without air conditioning or parking coolers.

“You can use them while you sleep but you can also use them to help keep you cool while you’re driving too,” added Peter.

Along with being a great option for inside the truck, it’s become a popular choice for camping and leisure – in four wheel drives, caravans, motorhome, tents and boats too.

An evaporative cooling unit, Transcool is simple to use – just fill it with water or ice and plug it into the cigarette lighter socket of your vehicle, or your power point at home.

As it’s dual voltage, it can be plugged into both a 12 volt or 24 volt vehicle, as well as 240v electricity.

The Transcool unit has an extremely low current draw ranging from 0.7 when set on low for while you’re sleeping, through to a maximum of 1.7 amps. For added peace of mind, Transcool also features a low voltage cut-out.

Over the last 20+ years, Peter has continued to grow and build on his product, with Transcool now shipped throughout the United States of America, Europe and Asia.

“Although the Transcool is not a full refrigerated air conditioning unit that can cool down an entire area, it is an affordable portable solution that can be taken and used anywhere you need a cool fresh breeze blowing on you,” Peter said.

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