If you are a business person who deals with transporting perishable goods, then you need to have a refrigerated van. It’s the only way you will maintain the quality of the goods you have. Most importantly, you will be taking care of their safety.
When you keep the perishable goods at the correct temperature you protect your business’s reputation and you stay on the side of the law. If you have one sudden hot snap, you could find yourself in danger because you will lose all the stocks.
Buying a used refrigerated van is not as easy as many people find. We have the issues of size and load capacity, temperature control and many more. If you are thinking of buying one, let’s look at the factors you need to consider.
Table of Contents
1. Temperature:
Temperature is going to be the first thing you need to keep in mind. A lot of refrigerated vans come with temperature control. But you need to make sure the temperature is within the range of your products or goods.
For instance, if you are transporting flowers, you need to maintain a temperature of 5 to 7 degrees. That’s the ideal temperature for flowers. If you are transporting foodstuff, you may need two compartments in your used van. One compartment for chilling the product and the other to maintain the ideal temperature. Meat, dairy, and poultry have an ideal temperature. That said, you have to buy a used refrigerator van that can maintain the right temperature for your products.
2. The Goods You Are Transporting
Besides the temperature, you also need to factor in the goods you will be carrying. The goods you intend to transport should factor in the size. Freezer vans exist in different sizes.
For instance, an insulation only van maintains the cooler temperature and protects the van from overheating during a summer day. Most insulation vans won’t have an installed refrigerator system but it would be an ideal van for anyone doing a florists business.
Other vans that you can take into consideration include chiller vans, semi-freezer, and full-freezer vans which have a different range of temperature.
3. Handling Your Payload
Another issue is the payload and how it fits into your van. If you want to transport meat, you need spaces so you can hang your products. That means you have to buy a big vehicle. Your main goal should be for you to maximise the space while having access to the things inside.
Most businesses see this as a trade-off which is challenging to achieve. The last thing you need to experience is the interior space being used up
At BHRV we have used different used freezer vans to choose from. All you need to do is find something that suits your business.
4. Doors and Your Refrigerated Van
Most businesses don’t think about this when they want to buy a freezer van. If you are transporting perishable goods from one city to another, you need to make sure the temperature remains constant. Anytime you open the door, the temperature drops. Therefore, you need to consider whether you need to have a back or side or both doors. Most importantly, how they are protected. Whether to have a side or back door, a lot depends on how the delivery was organized and what kind of perishable goods you are transporting. Besides that, you invest in strip curtains or use a different method to prevent temperature drops.