Refrigerated Van Hire

A refrigerated van is a type of truck that is used to transport food and other perishable items. These trucks are typically equipped with a refrigeration unit that helps keep the cargo cold or frozen. This is important for keeping food items fresh and preventing them from spoiling.

The most common system used in refrigerated vans is a diesel-powered mechanical compressor cooling system. These use their drivetrain to power a refrigeration unit which chills the air inside the box via a cooling coil. This cooled air then circulates and cools down the contents of the van, keeping them at a consistent temperature. Other less common systems include; Thermoelectric (absorbtion) units, or absorption units powered by propane or natural gas. Some companies are now using electric compressors which are powered by batteries, however this technology is still in its early stages and not widely used due to high costs. One advantage these electric compressors have though is that they don’t produce the harmful emissions that diesel engines do.

Refrigerated vans have been around for centuries, with early versions using ice and snow to keep payloads cold. However, it wasn’t until the 1930s that commercial refrigerated vans were introduced. These early vans were used to transport food items such as milk and meat. Today, refrigerated vans are used to transport a variety of goods, including food items, pharmaceuticals, and laboratory specimens.

A refrigerated van is a versatile and convenient way to transport perishable items. Whether you’re catering an event, delivering flowers or pharmaceuticals, a refrigerated van ensures that your goods remain at the proper temperature. When choosing a refrigerated van, it’s important to consider the type of goods you’ll be transporting, as well as the size and configuration of the van itself.

A refrigerated van is essential for the transport of fresh food. Without a fridge or freezer van, your business would be unable to transport perishable items such as meat, dairy and produce. A refrigerated van can keep these items cold and safe for transport, which is why they are so important for any business that deals with fresh food.

Although the size of a refrigerated van can vary depending on the make and model, they typically range from 1.5-9.5 cubic metres. This makes them large enough to accommodate various types of perishables, including meat, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables. Thanks to their spaciousness, refrigerated vans are ideal for catering businesses or those who frequently transport large amounts of food.

If you’re looking to buy a new refrigerated van, prices can start from around £20,000. However, it’s also possible to convert an existing van into a refrigerated one, which can start from as little as £3,000. Ultimately, the cost will depend on a number of factors including the size and specifications of the van you need.

A refrigerated van consists of the van itself, a sealed, insulated load space and a refrigeration unit. The refrigeration unit absorbs heat from the load space and dissipates it outside until the desired temperature is reached. The combination of thermal insulation and airtightness slow heat getting back into the load space. The van’s drivetrain propels the vehicle and powers the refrigeration unit.

Insulation is installed on all sides of the load space and is most often polymer foam, commonly polystyrene or polyurethane.

Refrigerated van insulation is fragile and can degrade if exposed so it is fully enclosed between the van shell and a tough, airtight, easily cleaned inner skin.

Thickness of insulation is selected to provide sufficient resistance to heat transfer at a reasonable cost whilst maximising load space. Typically between 50-100mm.

For lower temperatures (ie. for frozen goods) thicker insulation is required for efficient operation.

Good sealing of the load space and openings is critical as it prevents cold air from leaking out and warm air from leaking in.

Vans may be just insulated (but not refrigerated) to make the temperature inside more stable but without the ability to lower or carefully control temperature like a refrigerated van. Can be used for transport of less critical cargo such as flowers and chilled fruit and vegetables.

A fridge van is designed to carry goods that need to be maintained at a temperature in excess of 0 degrees centigrade: this would include things like fruit and vegetables, sandwiches and fresh meat, for example.

Freezer vans are built to achieve and maintain much lower temperatures of minus 18 degrees centigrade or lower. They are used for things like ice cream and frozen food.

Whether you need a fridge or freezer van depends entirely on what you are carrying and what temperature it needs to be stored at.

Whichever kind of hire arrangement you have with us you can still receive the same unrivalled levels of back-up and support.

Rental hire involves the hire of one of our existing fleet vehicles. You can do this on either a short or long term basis.

Contract hire offers you the chance to have a vehicle built to your specification for long term use. In addition we can work with you to create a specific service offering to precisely match your operational requirements.

You certainly can. We offer a number of dual compartment vehicles which have a dividing bulkhead in the load space to enable different operating temperatures to be set in the front and back of the vehicle.

All of our hire vehicles are checked by our team before they are delivered to you but, should something go wrong, just give us a call.

We will take care of the problem wherever you are in the UK. Our helpline is answered 24/7 on every day of the year, and we will get you back on the road as soon as we can.

Our nationwide team of engineers will organise the recovery and repair of your vehicle but we will also ensure that a replacement vehicle is provided to keep your business moving.

We work with customers from as far north as Aberdeen and our cover extends all the way down to Brighton on the south coast. Using our own mobile engineers and carefully chosen partners we offer a nationwide service.

No, all of our vehicles are legal to drive on a standard full UK drivers licence.

Refrigerated van drivetrains can either be powered by a diesel engine which directly drives the compressor of the refrigeration unit or an onboard battery which drives an electric motor and also runs the refrigeration unit.

The refrigerated van must have sufficient power to effectively drive the vehicle and power the refrigerated unit.

The refrigeration unit usually has the option to be plugged into a power outlet or generator for power when the vehicle is stationary.

The refrigeration unit is powered by the van’s drivetrain so it will have a reduced range compared to a regular van. Power use is minimised with good design and installation of the cooling system.

A refrigeration unit consist of:

• a refrigerant to transfer heat,
• a compressor to circulate and add pressure to the refrigerant,
• an evaporator where the refrigerant turns from a liquid to a gas and absorbs heat,
• a condenser where the refrigerant turns from gas to liquid and disperses heat,
• a thermostat to regulate temperature by switching the compressor on or off.

Size/capacity of the refrigeration unit is selected to provide effective chilling at a reasonable cost without compromising storage space, vehicle power or weight .

For lower temperatures (ie. for frozen goods) a higher capacity refrigeration unit is often required for efficient operation.