The ref is intended for all-season transportation of cargo with the maintenance of a special temperature regime (food, cosmetics, flowers, medicines). The category of perishable goods refers to a complex type of transportation. The company’s reputation can be damaged if at least once the goods arrive at the outlet in an inappropriate condition, so the choice of such trucks should be approached carefully. We represent truck driver courses and prepare specialists for your business. If you want to receive services in this area, we recommend that you contact our representatives.

What is a Reefer Van

Ref – this is what carriers call a refrigerated truck – a popular type of commercial transport. From the text you will learn what to look for when choosing a refrigerated truck for urban transportation.

In order for perishable goods to reach the consumer without loss of quality, a certain type of transport is used. It is designed to transport food:

•     milk;
•     meat;
•     fishes;
•     and other similar products, as well as chemicals and medicines that require certain transportation conditions.

Refrigerators are refrigeration devices that set and maintain the set temperature parameters in the car van. They create such a microclimate in which the cargo will not lose its quality characteristics, that is, it will not deteriorate.

The Different Types of Refrigerated Vans

The refrigeration and heating structure is installed both on a flatbed semi-trailer and on its own chassis, which is often used in models with a high load capacity. If necessary, the temperature control can be turned off and the machine can be used as a normal truck. 

There are three categories of load capacity:

•     low – 1-3 tons;
•     medium – 3-5 tons;
•     high – from 5 tons.

The choice directly depends on the task that the carrier faces: if you work in a small town and deliver milk to 10 outlets every day, then a 3-tonne is enough. If you transport the same milk all day long in a metropolis through large retail chains, then it is more profitable to purchase a truck with a medium or high carrying capacity.

There are three types of power supply to maintain the required temperature in an isothermal van:

•     with direct drive;
•     with autonomous;
•     plates with antifreeze.

Experience shows that the best option is models with an autonomous supply of electricity through a diesel generator or batteries. With a stand-alone system, the resources of the main engine of the machine are not involved, due to which the load is removed from it, which means that the engine will last much longer (unlike a direct drive system). Of the minuses of using stoves: they need to be periodically charged from electricity, and during transportation their temperature will change. Direct drive and the use of cooling plates are designed to carry small loads over short distances. Autonomous ref is suitable for year-round urban and international transportation.

If you want to get more information about this destination, we recommend that you sign up on our truck driver courses to find out more.

Reefer Van Truck Features

Depending on what category of perishable goods you plan to transport, the following are installed in the cargo compartment: pallets, carts for flowers, hooks for meat carcasses or the compartment is divided into tiers. Most often, carriers use pallets, so an important indicator when choosing a truck is how many euro pallets fit in it. Euro pallet is a 120 x 80 cm pallet, the standard for international freight transport. In large cities, refrigerated truck models with a capacity of 19 euro pallets are most in demand.

Shipping Refrigerated Van vs Conestoga

The main difference between shipping with Refrigerated Van vs Conestoga is whether you plan to ship perishable or temperature sensitive items. Conestoga does not allow products to be transported at a single fixed temperature.

This is the main difference from the Conestoga trailer. If you are the owner of cargo transportation in the USA, then we have a solution for you – the service of truck dispatchers, which we ourselves prepare for you on our truck driver courses.