By Pamela Rose
A refrigerated vehicle is an asset for a transport business that can fetch you a good amount of fortune. For a maximum output from your refrigerated vehicles, you must ensure regular and timely maintenance. Routine servicing and timely general check-ups improve its functioning for sure.
Transporting perishable goods like milk, vegetables, flowers, and pharmaceuticals requires a great deal of responsibility. A reliable freezer van and refrigerated truck is the key to ensure that all such commodities are delivered in the same condition as was loaded onto the refrigerated van with utmost safety.
Refrigerated vehicles come in two body sizes, refrigerated trucks, and vans. Refrigerated trucks have higher carrying capacity and can travel long distances easily carrying heavier payloads.
Meat transportation or a grocery store often requires higher carrying capacity. The compact size of a van allows it to move around freely within the city and dense areas. It can carry the products more easily and quickly. Click here to know more about refrigerated vehicles.
Maintenance of Refrigerated Vehicles
If the vehicle breaks down while transporting products, it will risk the trustworthiness of the company and would cost you valuable time and money. The maintenance of a refrigerated vehicle should be one of the highest priorities of the owner. Regular maintenance ensures exceptional safety to the freezer vehicle, truck drivers and is also a precaution to preserve the loaded products.
To help prevent breakdowns of the refrigerated vehicle, here are some crucial maintenance tips:
Avoid Ignorance of Minor Issues
If the owner notices a minor problem or the driver complains about some issues like the trailer not cooling properly or taking longer time than company SOP or unfamiliar noises coming from the engine or body of the truck. You cannot ignore a thorough vehicle inspection in such situations.
Ignorant behavior of truck drivers to overlook irregularities in truck performance can give a headache to the vehicle owner. These minor problems can quickly turn into substantial complications and cause crucial concerns. When a refrigerated truck supports the business regularly, then these minor issues need serious attention.
Regular Cleaning
Proper cleaning of the trailer after every consignment is vital. The residues of the last shipment can cause the development of unwanted bacteria, fungus, mold, etc. A contaminated trailer can react with other sensitive goods in the next cargo leading to rotting of the commodity, creating an unpleasant situation, and costing you a loss of hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Maintaining Appropriate Temperature
The trailer must keep the temperature according to the demand of the commodity to ensure safe transportation. The correct temperature prevents the rotting of goods in consignment. Accurate temperature does not let the germs develop in the trailer. Compromise with the proper temperature will risk the company’s image in the market.
Routine Inspections
Routine inspection decreases the chance of breakdown while transporting goods. Regular check-ups help to have a long on-road life of the refrigerated vehicle. It enhances the performance of the transport vehicle and avoids excessive wear and tear of parts and body.
New trucks are capable of giving services up to 100,000 miles after inspection. However, they should be kept to 25,000 miles when the driving conditions are continuously rough.
Experts and professionals find more minor issues that can turn into serious problems that need suitable attention.
Undertake Regular Tune-Ups
Ensure regular checks for oil and coolant levels, and the oil must be clean. For getting optimal performance from the vehicle, change the engine oil after every 3000-4000 miles. Freezer vans are preferred because they maintain feasible temperatures for perishable goods. Dust and debris reduce the capability of maintaining temperature drastically.
Mandatory Pre-trip Checks
This task sounds time-consuming, but stress is on the importance of the vehicle, which is supporting your business and fetching profits for you. A general check-up before every trip ensures everything is suitable for the upcoming conditions. Indeed, nobody wants to encounter a challenge with a fully loaded truck running on its delivery route. However, you could prevent this with a pre-trip check-up before setting off.
Here are some of the checkpoints to cover before filling up the refrigerated truck before each shipment:
- Ensure that the trailer is clean to avoid the risk of contamination;
- Examining the walls of the insulated area and checking if any cracks are there that could affect the temperature and cooling of the trailer;
- Check the locks on the door to seal it properly;
- Analyze the cooling temperature and setting for fresh air;
- Check out the oil and coolant levels.
Maintenance of Refrigerated Vehicles for Uninterrupted Transport
This checklist before each journey will make the trip easy and the transportation smooth for you. After all, prevention is better than cure.
If you plan to add a refrigerated truck or a freezer van to your business, following the above vital tips for maintaining freezer vans and refrigerated trucks ensures the vehicle always remains in outstanding condition.
