Reefer Trailers
Exploring Reefer Trailers with Royal Truck & Utility Trailer
From ice cream to medicine, flowers to frozen food, transportation companies have to move temperature-sensitive items between destinations every day. They do this with refrigerated trailers, commonly called reefer trailers. While temperatures can soar into the triple digits inside a typical dry van, reefer trailers ensure that perishable items arrive safely without spoiling.
Royal Truck & Utility Trailer offers a wide selection of reefer trailers for sale. We’re here to help you learn more about this critically important element of cold chain transportation, including how they work and how to get the most from your investment.
What Is a Reefer Trailer?
Reefer trailers are semi-truck trailers that have built-in refrigeration units. Most transport food and beverages, but they can also carry:
- Pharmaceuticals
- Hazardous materials
- Electronics
- Artwork
Essentially, if exposure to high temperatures will cause damage or create a safety risk, it’s best to ship it in a refrigerated trailer.
Reefer trailers have unique design features that help maintain consistent temperatures. These include additional insulation in the side walls, specially designed doors that ensure a tight seal and reduce moisture intrusion, and air chutes in the floor to evenly distribute the chilled air and provide ventilation. The construction of these trailers adds some weight and reduces the cargo capacity by a few inches compared to dry vans.
How Do Reefer Trailers Work?
Reefer trailers don’t actually cool cargo; they remove heat from the cargo area so that it stays cool enough to keep the shipment from spoiling. So how do reefer trailers work?
They function much like your home air conditioner, using a compressor, condenser, and evaporator. Powered by a small diesel engine, the system uses refrigerant to absorb the heat from the air and move it outside the trailer. As the air inside the cargo area blows over the evaporator and the cold refrigerant, it cools off to refrigerate the shipment.
Drivers can monitor the inside temperature in real time with a temperature control monitoring system or a temperature recorder. This ensures that the load remains at a consistent temperature during transport.
Utility Reefer Trailers for Sale
Utility Trailer is a leader in reefer trailers thanks to their commitment to producing the most efficient and reliable refrigerated trucks in the industry. The latest models include upgrades that maximize performance, including:
- Foam-in-place insulation that provides maximum thermal efficiency by completely insulating the entire unit
- A best-in-class, exclusive rear Barrier Door that features a bonded foam “sandwich” design for the most reliable seal and thermal efficiency without extra weight
- High-impact lining on the walls and floors to reduce forklift damage and maintenance costs
- Heavy-duty aluminum floor duct system
- Air-ride suspension for increased driver comfort
Utility offers several options so you can choose the best model for your cargo and logistical requirements, including multi-temperature load partition systems.
Maintenance and Care for Reefer Trailers
The last thing you want is for a load to spoil because your reefer trailer failed. Maintaining the trailer preserves its lifespan, ensures that you can keep goods at their ideal temperature at every stage of the cold transport chain, and maximizes fuel mileage.
Federal regulations require documenting the operating temperature of the trailer during cold transportation. In terms of maintenance, this means prioritizing inspections to ensure the trailer is free of damage or problems that could prevent the cargo area from maintaining a steady temperature.
Most trailers require maintenance after every 1,000 hours of operation. Pre-trip inspections of the primary temperature control panel to ensure it completes a full cycle without any errors or issues are critical to optimal operations.
Explore Reefer Trailers Available at Royal Truck & Utility Trailer
Reefer trailers can expand the capabilities of your trucking company, creating opportunities to move temperature-sensitive loads. Modern refrigerated trucks have more advanced technology than ever before. Reliability is key since a breakdown can result in significant losses, not just a delivery delay.
Turning to Royal Truck & Utility Trailer when you’re looking for a high-quality reefer trailer means access to the most reliable equipment and attentive customer service in the market. Explore our selection of new and pre-owned refrigerated Utility trailers for sale, and get in touch with our sales team at (313) 524-2529 to learn more.