Refrigerator truck

Refrigerated trucks are trucks with a refrigerated body and be used for temperature controlled transport.

In freight transport, particularly in long-distance freight traffic mainly only articulated vehicles and road trains are used. In the transport and in the narrow cities, however, often motor vehicles ( trucks without trailers ) and vans.

Vehicle body

Due to the elaborate, insulated body and the refrigeration unit ( almost always with heating and freezing function) these are compared to other closed bodies technically much more complex. Especially with the maintenance costs can be caused by frequently occurring in everyday transport small maneuvering do major repair costs.

Due to the fixed structure occur during transportation but many disadvantages that can only be solved with technically sophisticated and thus more expensive and reducing payload structures partly or minimize their disadvantages or moved.

In the transport industry, flexibility is one of the most important criteria. Therefore, the vehicles are manufactured often individually as desired, as it requires the haulier and the eventual regular customer and it puts itself in contrast to the automotive sector also no standardized mass production to low-wage countries, especially counting the cost also assume a low value over the term.

About 90 % of all refrigerated trailers sold in Germany come from the two German car manufacturers Schmitz Cargo Bull or crown. The remaining 10% fall mainly on the merged manufacturer Koegel and Chereau (France) (2004 ).

An insulated box body is usually through the double-walled fiberglass planking with intermediate insulating core of polyurethane foam and wooden or aluminum struts substantially heavier than a comparable closed plan construction. Thus, the usual maximum payload of 25 drops to 24 tons.

This continues to be received by 2.40 m meaningful for standardized transport facilities such as Euro pallets and pallet cage inside width may temperature-controlled structures have a total width of 2.60 m and thus exceed the otherwise maximum allowable overall width of 2.55 m without special permission. Since the maximum length of the vehicle but may not grow conventional refrigerated trailer can transport only 33 instead of 34 Euro pallets.

In the delivery of general cargo traffic of vans hardly consuming insulated vehicles are used.

Temperature control

The cooling unit is always operated at long-distance trains and frequently mounted on a well from medium-weight transport use while driving underneath the semi-trailer, or any articulated by the diesel tank of the vehicle.

To reduce the noise and exhaust emissions during service life, many cooling units also feature a three-phase connection, which allows a relatively quiet, electric cooling mode. Additional enclosures and insulation in the refrigeration unit minimize both types of application, the noise, the diesel operation, the exhaust gases are expelled via the silencer - exhaust emission control system.

A few, mainly old vehicles from the medium-heavy transport be pre-cooled on purely electric-powered refrigeration units and can not be operated independently ( independent from the mains ). Therefore, this cooling method is suitable only for short transport distances and times.

The cooling of the vans is due to the low transport volume with small, operated via the vehicle power grid or diesel generators.

Other technical features in the temperature-controlled transport are depending on the application, eg Temperature recorder. The temperatures are measured, stored, and the curve can always be displayed on a display or printed. There is also a digital temperature monitoring via satellite ( GPS ) and corresponding fleet management solutions possible. This is for quality assurance to still find unacceptable temperature variations later and to sustain avoided. According to EU Regulations 178/2002/EC and 37/2005/EG is the burden of proof to trace the quality assurance of food.

Features

In line with the requirements of the structures with bunk facilities or complete with side doors can be built. This can lead to the detriment of the payload weight.

For fresh meat transports the bodies below the roof are equipped with sliding tracks and meat hooks. These meat hooks can each be locked at short intervals, so that, for example, do not slip the pork or beef halves while driving the whole body length back and forth.

External links and sources

• Representation Description from the cooling structure
• Film Description of refrigerated vehicles
• Pictures of refrigerated vehicles

Evidence

• Commercial vehicle
• Refrigeration technology