The use of a refrigerated truck may boost your business. You may be able to grow your customer base or produce and sell more products. There are probably uses for refrigerated trucks you haven’t thought of yet!
This article will examine high-quality refrigerated trucks in Australia. What can they be used for, the various types available and whether you should rent or purchase a truck.
What is a refrigerated vehicle?
As it sounds. A refrigerated truck is an insulated, portable refrigerator or freezer, capable of ensuring a constant, regulated temperature while delivering temperature-sensitive cargo.
How does a refrigerated truck work?
A refrigerated vehicle has a chiller, or refrigeration unit and a fan to push cold air into the cargo area. When the desired temperature is reached, the sealed, insulated cargo area prevents heat from entering and the truck will maintain the temperature for the duration of the journey.
The Albedo effect
This is the amount of sunlight and heat reflected from a surface depending on its colour. Lighter coloured surfaces reflect the majority of heat back into the atmosphere while dark colours absorb heat.
This is why there are many white-painted houses found in hot coastal areas and also why a great many vehicles, including refrigerated trucks, have light colours in hot regions.
What is carried in a refrigerated truck?
There are a variety of goods transported using refrigerated vehicles, including:
- Food
- Freshness
Many of the frozen vegetables we get from the supermarket are frozen as they are picked and stay frozen until we cook them at home.
Storing and transporting ‘fresh’ food in this way is believed to maintain the ‘just picked’ quality of the food. - Compliance
The food standards agency of Australia and New Zealand publish guidelines regarding food safety during transportation. When carrying food as cargo, potentially hazardous food must remain under temperature control and frozen foods must remain frozen.
The agency guidelines on receiving potentially hazardous foods state that deliveries should be rejected if the temperature has NOT been maintained at 5°C or below or 60°C or above during transportation.
Such “potentially hazardous foods” include some meat, dairy, seafood, rice, pasta, eggs, cooked foods and others.
- Freshness
- Medicines
The carriage of certain medical supplies has always been dependent on temperature-controlled transportation. The vaccines developed in response to the current global Coronavirus pandemic are an example.
The Australian Government Dept of Health offers the following guidance for the transportation of COVID-19 vaccines for a home visit.
When transporting AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax COVID-19 vaccines for a home visit you should transport the vaccine in either a vial or as a pre-drawn dose, in a syringe. The temperature should be regulated and should be between 2 °C to 8 °C for up to 6 hours. - Cosmetics
Refrigerated vehicles are used to carry cosmetic goods to ensure they reach their destination in their intended quality, ready to be sold.
Cosmetic products such as mascaras and lipsticks and others require temperature-controlled transportation to ensure they maintain their consistency and do not begin to melt.
Soft plastic packaging and containers are also at risk from changes in temperature during carriage. They can ‘pop’ or split, causing the product inside to leak. - Bees!
While you may see beehives being transported on the back of an open-top truck or within an open trailer, they can also be transported over long distances by a refrigerated truck.
Honey bees generate a lot of heat and some beekeepers use temperature-regulated, insulated transport to prevent overheating. - Flowers and plants
As with fresh vegetables, refrigerating flowers and some plants as they are harvested can help them to maintain quality and extend their life.
Flowers are often stored in refrigerated transport as they are picked to ensure they reach the retailers in perfect condition. - Animals, like penguins
Some animals need a temperature-controlled environment to survive. In 2001, Riverbank Zoo, in Columbia, US needed to transport 15 penguins they had acquired from Orlando, Florida.
They used a refrigerated truck for the journey, even covering the metal flooring with a foot of manmade snow to keep the penguins comfortable.
Another advantage of transporting exotic animals inside a truck is removing the distraction factor likely to be caused by the sight of a colony of penguins being carried along the open road!
Deliver goods over a greater distance
The use of refrigerated vehicles gives you the ability to carry certain goods further. If you are a producer, distributor or retailer of any of the goods identified above, in order to reach a wider customer base you should consider using temperature-controlled vehicles.
For food delivery, for example, there are restrictions on the transportation, and receipt, of certain foods if they have been carried for long periods of time. Your food delivery may be rejected!
Using a refrigerated truck gives you the ability to transport certain foods almost anywhere, giving you the opportunity to expand your customer base and grow your business.
Storage/plugged in
A refrigerated truck is a large, portable fridge. They are ideal for storing temperature-critical products. If you have a food outlet at an outdoor event such as a festival, fair or market, you will almost certainly need a method to keep your food or drinks fresh and cool for a long period of time.
Your refrigerated truck can be connected to a power supply and used as a food chiller for as long as you need it. There will be no need to lift and move your supplies from the delivery vehicle, plus the refrigeration unit on the truck may be more cost-effective running off mains electricity.
Which refrigerated vehicle do you need?
We will check out the fleet of Fuso refrigerated trucks available for rental at Southern Cross Truck Rentals (SCTR).
The fleet at SCTR has 4 models of refrigerated trucks, starting with
Fuso 2 Tonne 3 seater
– This smaller truck can hold 2 pallets or 4 large crates and has rear electric barn doors for easy loading. It has an automatic transmission and can be driven on a c/car licence.
Fuso 3 Tonne
– This truck carries up to 4 pallets and provides side door access as well as the rear barn doors. The requirement for a ‘c’ class licence makes it perfect for self-drive rental.
Fuso 6 Tonne
– Capacity for up to 6 pallets, or about 15 penguins!
The larger trucks have rear roller doors as well as side doors. The driver requires an ‘LR’ class licence.
Fuso 8 Tonne
– The largest refrigerated truck available from SCTR. Requires an ‘HR’ licence and features load dividers.
Should I rent or buy?
The answer to this question is, if your business is going to use a refrigerated truck all day, each working day, you may be better off owning your own truck. If your company-owned truck is likely to be parked up most of the time, you should probably rent.
Some of the benefits of renting a truck:
- Renting is scalable
If you realise you need an additional truck for a large, unscheduled order, you could rent another for as long as needed. If your refrigerated truck fleet consists of rentals and refrigerated delivery requirements slow for a while then one or more trucks can be returned to your rental company instead of gathering dust and costing you money parked outside your window. - Try before you buy
If you are moving into the refrigerated delivery industry you could rent one, or more of the available trucks to see which you prefer and which represents the best value for your company. - Temporary replacement vehicle
Your company-owned truck needs a service or repair. Rent a replacement for as long as needed. - Short/long term transport needs
If you have only occasional needs for a refrigerated truck, you should arrange a rental for as long, or short as needed. - Cost-effective to rent?
It may be more cost-effective for your company to rent a truck, even if you use it all the time. Renting offers you scalability as above, plus with your single regular payment, you avoid the costs of servicing and breakdown cover, replacement tyres and windscreens. Registration and insurance are all covered by the rental agency. You need to supply the driver and the fuel!
The difference when you rent a truck from SCTR
At Southern Cross Truck Rentals (SCTR), in NSW, our entire fleet consists of modern, well-maintained trucks. We are renowned for our reliable vehicles and great rates.
When you get in touch with us, make sure to ask about our special deals, including:
- Short and long term hire
- Available as needed!
- One-way truck rentals
- We may be able to arrange to drop off or pick up in major Australian cities.
- Multiple truck rentals
- For those unplanned jobs
- Emergency truck rentals
- When it’s urgent
- Driver and vehicle rental packages
- The full package, as needed
Contact SCTR today to arrange a refrigerated truck rental for your business.
