When I got my first car twenty years ago, I was clueless when it came to maintaining it and keeping it in a roadworthy condition. As a result, I had to pay for costly repairs that could have been avoided if the car had been looked after better. I learned my lesson and started reading everything I could about basic car maintenance. I started this blog to share what I've learned in the hopes it will save other new drivers making costly mistakes. I blog about a variety of topics, such as troubleshooting uneven tyre wear, the benefits of regular servicing and maintaining your car during the winter months. I hope you find my blog useful.
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What to Consider When Hiring or Renting a Refrigerated Vehicle for Your Business
Reginald Fox
Refrigerated vans and trucks can be a great investment for your business if you are involved in the sale or supply of perishable items such as flowers, drinks, meat products, medicine, groceries or fast foods. You can either purchase or hire on short-term and long-term basis. Hiring is a better option is you only need to boost your capacity during high seasons or when your van is in the auto shop. When choosing your refrigerated vehicle, look for the following:
Maximum cooling temperatures
The cooling ability of your refrigerated vehicle will depend on the cooler fitted onto it. Check the cooling limit in each vehicle to ensure you can get the cooling range you need. The wider the cooling range; the better, especially if you need to transport a wide variety of items that may differ on temperature needs. If you need very low temperature for items like ice or dairy products, pick a vehicle with a freezer. Freezers can provide lower temperatures compared to commercial coolers.
Maximum weight & volume
Each refrigerated vehicle also has a different load capacity. This can range from 1 tonne to 20 tonnes and even beyond. The volume also differs in terms of the sizes that can be accommodated such as 1 pallet, 2 pallets and so forth. Check these two parameters to ensure the vehicle you buy/rent will support your quantities without forcing you to take more trips than necessary and thereby costing you more in terms of fuel.
Bulkhead temperature compartments
Another handy factor that can improve your refrigerated vehicle usage is the ability to carry loads under different temperature settings. This is made possible by the fitting of insulated bulkheads that divide the refrigerated van/truck in to separate compartments. With this feature, you can carry items with different temperature needs and cut down on your transport costs.
Food handling approvals
To ensure compliance to Operational Health & Safety regulations, ensure the vehicle you hire is licensed by the local council to handle foods or medical products. Remember the onus is on you as the hirer to ensure the vehicle you are using has all the proper approvals and documentation before use.
Tailgate loading
A tailgate loader can greatly reduce the amount of physical work needed to load and offload your goods from the van/truck. This is especially important for bulky pallet loads. The tailgate loader also reduces the number of people needed to handle transportation and deliveries, thereby reducing your labor costs in the long-run.
If you intend to carry specific items in your refrigerated vehicle look for customizations that will ease storage and cooling efficiency. For example, meat hooks & rails will ease the handling and cooling of beef, pork and other meat products. In the same way, if transporting flowers, in-built trays can ease arrangement and prevent damage of inventory.
Learn more about your options by working with van rental companies like Be Cool Refrigerated Couriers.
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