Commercial Van Solutions

The use of electric power to refrigerate trailers is expected to surge in the coming years, according to some manufacturers and fleet operators. Government regulations to reduce fossil fuel emissions are a major force driving fleet adoption of electric trailer refrigeration units, also known as citrus, combined with the trucking industry’s drive to lower operating costs and reduce equipment maintenance demands. “There is a strong movement, in general, away from fossil fuel in the transportation and logistics industry to all-electric or hybrid-electric systems,” said Ian Fox, product manager for refrigerated vans at trailer manufacturer Wabash National Corp. “Electric-powered refrigeration systems are a part of that movement. Running a reefer unit on electricity is significantly cheaper than running on diesel fuel.” KeHE Distributors started an effort to electrify “as many distribution centers as possible about two years ago,” said Tom Harden, senior manager of fleet assets for the org...

When transporting large quantities of perishable goods, a reefer truck may be the best option. Reefer trucks have internal cooling systems that can maintain a specific temperature inside the trailer. These trucks can be set at a range of temperatures from freezing to room temperature. Reefer trucks were invented in the 1930s as a solution to the problem of transporting cold and frozen goods safely. Manufacturers and producers wrestled with this question for decades, employing the first attempt at a cold shipment method on trains in the mid-19th century. Railroad companies filled train cars with large blocks of ice in an effort to keep products cold as they traveled across the country. After the invention of automobiles, drivers carried this method over to trucks and also used insulation to keep out heat. Fans in the vehicles also helped to move cold air around the container. This method was not sufficient, however, because drivers would still have to stop periodically to ...

    When you think of refrigerated trucks , its purpose is pretty obvious – to transfer goods that needs to be refrigerated from one place to another. However, there are more advantages that come with it than you could actually see. Refrigerated trucks are used not only to transport perishable products but also medical supplies, artwork, or anything that needs constantly cool temperature to maintain its freshness and quality. If you have a business that handles these kinds of products, investing in a good refrigerated truck is a great decision. Here are the top benefits of having your own refrigerated truck for your business. Keeps the Goods Protected Aside from keeping the products fresh, a fridge truck also keeps your products protected from a lot of factors during transport. Fridge trucks can be locked, keeping the products safe from theft especially when travelling long distances. It also keeps the goods protected from harsh weather conditions and other da...

    Before you can successfully carry freight, you have to first identify the shipping alternative that best meets your transportation requirements. There is a wide array you can select from, including dry van, refrigerated (reefer), flatbed, and more. Each technique of transportation includes advantages as well as downsides that influence both shippers and also carriers who are transporting the freight. It’s an excellent suggestion to acquaint on your own with all of the freight shipping modes and also the requirements that go along with each. We’ve described the benefits and obstacles of dry van, refrigerated, and also flatbed shipping based on things such as haul size, wait times, and freight schedule. Dry Van Shipping Dry van shipping is among the most favored and also relied on freight transportation methods readily available. It’s remained the preferred method of transportation as a result of the high accessibility and various benefits of having actually an enc...

You may not be aware, but the 7th of September is National Beer Lover’s Day, so we’d like to celebrate some of our local Manchester Microbreweries. “Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger Beer is one of the world’s oldest and most popular forms of alcohol. Full ales and crisp lagers are a staple part of many people’s Friday afternoons. Recently there has been a rise in the popularity of Craft Beers coming from Microbreweries all over the country, and Manchester is lucky to have some of the best situated right here in the city. The earliest examples of beer date back to Iran in 5000BC, so it comes as no surprise that the drink has been reworked and personalized by brewers over the millennia to bring us the drinks we love today. With the recent appearance and popularity of microbreweries, we have seen a new trend for beers with different flavors and quirks, leading many “cerevisaphiles” (beer lovers to you and me) to have become at...

Perishable goods include fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, frozen foods, and dairy products. But today’s refrigerated vans are also called reefers.  It keeps other high-value loads at ideal temperatures and humidity levels so they arrive safely at their final destinations.  The cold chains have broadened and promoted by regulations and economics. More loads than normal require proper climate control handling, including following: Pharmaceuticals.  Drugs such as insulin and the seasonal flu vaccine must be shipped and stored at temperatures between 35˚F and 46˚F to prevent spoilage and contamination. Tobacco products.  High valued tobacco items such as cigarettes, cigars require strictly controlled temperature levels to preserve freshness and quality. Fine art and antiques.  Art, antiques, collectible vehicles, and other valuable items are shipped and maintain proper temperature to control humidity. These items often stored in 70˚F and travel long ...

Vehicle acquisition makes up a huge part of business fleet costs, particularly when that fleet operates within a cold chain. In this blog, we examine why   refrigerated truck rental   holds the key to acquiring high-quality service at a low cost. Why choose refrigerated vans? First thing’s first - which vehicle model is best for your business needs? Needless to say, there is a healthy demand for refrigerated HGVS. However, for many small businesses operating a cold chain, refrigerated vans can pose the best solution. Refrigerated transport is often used for relatively small loads - such as online food shopping, events catering, or fresh produce deliveries to small stores. In each of these situations, a refrigerated van may be the most suitably sized vehicle. On top of this, congestion on the roads is getting worse. Research by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) found that vehicle traffic has increased by 5% since 2000, while the length of the road netwo...

The UK food and drinks industry is a challenging place to be right now, and many businesses may be struggling to compete. With customers expecting fast and flexible service, could  refrigerated van hire help your fleet to keep up with the demand for deliveries? Supermarkets struggle The food and drinks industry is competitive at the best of times, and now a recent report from Kantar Worldpanel shows that UK grocery sales have fallen for the first time in two decades. The reported value of sales fell by 0.2% for the 12 weeks to 9 November, in comparison to the same period last year. Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons all suffered from falling sales figures, but sales at budget supermarket Aldi flew up by more than 25%, while sales at Lidl also rose by 16.8%. Big supermarket chains have had a difficult period as shoppers head to discount retailers. Grocery prices have also been pushed down by 0.4% thanks to fierce price competition between supermark...

Several news articles published this past spring described the good work of a well-known online supermarket that donated refrigerated vans to local food charities. What the company did was both honorable and very helpful to the charities in question. News reports explained that the purpose of the donations was to give food charities the means of delivering more fresh foods – like perishable fruits, vegetables, and meats – to recipients rather than just canned and dry goods. That is a great goal to pursue. Hopefully the food charities are not using the vans for storage as well. In short, refrigerated vans are for deliveries while refrigerated trailers are for storage. There really is no comparison when you are looking at a cold storage solution for more than a couple of hours at a time. Trailers Offer More Capacity One of the first things to note about refrigerated trailers is that, compared to refrigerated van hire, they offer more c...

Although previously steel-bodied trucks were being used for refrigerated transportation needs, recently, the use of fibreglass has successfully replaced it. Fibreglass is basically a composite material the principal element of it is plastic, and it is further reinforced with the use of small glass fibres. So, basically, the most significant benefits of using fibreglass are, it is lightweight compared to steel, and on the other hand, it is considered as a bad conductor of heat. These two features make this material ideal to be used for any refrigeration unit. Let’s get to know some more details about the benefits of fiber glass based refrigerated truck units in the following section. Heat Lock Mechanism The very first benefit of using fibre glass based vehicles for freight transport in Brisbane   is, of course, its heat lock mechanism. The insulation level of fibreglass is exceptionally high. It is a proven fact that the fibreglass refrige...

Refrigerated Van Buyer’s Guide: The Main Key Factors To Consider We understand that for some of our customers – especially those just starting their own business – the refrigerated van industry might not be the most intuitive subject to come to terms with. That’s why in the coming weeks, we’ll be using this space to publish a buyer’s guide, explaining everything you need to know in as much detail as we can. We’ll be going into these extensive details in the coming weeks, but firstly we think it’s best to give you a quick overview of the sorts of considerations you might have when looking at a refrigerated van – and what’s more, how we can meet those requirements. Here are some of main things you’ll want to think about when looking at a refrigerated van: The temperature you need. What your cargo will be. What sort of payload will you need? How many drops you’ll regularly make. How long the doors will be open for. What wheelbase you’ll need. Any other extra s...