The Best Time To Replace Your Refrigerated Vehicle
Joe Dickman | June 9th, 2021
For anybody that manages a restaurant, grocery, or other food company, reliable frozen delivery trucks are vital. Refrigerated trucks are a serious investment, and it’s essential to know when it’s time to replace your current vehicles. If you go too long without upgrading, you run the risk of paying higher repair costs, more chances of a breakdown, and many other dangers that can put a severe hole in your pocket. Here is a guide on the best time to replace your refrigerated vehicle.
Season Makes an Impact
The time of year can have a considerable impact on your decision to replace your existing refrigerated vehicle. During the winter months, trucks won’t require as much energy and fuel to keep products cold. However, once you get closer to summer and warmer weather starts to creep up, make sure your trucks operate at peak performance to handle your cooling needs. If you’ve been considering replacing your trucks already, you should seriously consider making the change once warmer weather hits.
New Model Releases
You might feel like you’re okay with your current refrigerated vehicles, even if they are a little bit older. However, failing to upgrade can mean you’d miss out on saving money from upgrading to more contemporary models without splurging on brand new vehicles. Vehicles that are even just a few years old tend to be more fuel-efficient than older ones. Like any vehicle, when a new refrigerated truck releases, the older editions tend to drop in price. With some due diligence, you can upgrade your older models with relatively newer ones that can have more efficient, energy-saving features, among many others.
Repair Issues Keep Popping Up
You might find that no matter what you do—whether it is resealing cracks and other openings, consistent maintenance on your reefer, or replacing parts in and around the engine—your cabin refuses to stay cold. If you find yourself constantly making repairs to your refrigerated truck or van, it might be more cost-efficient in the long run to replace it.
Knowing the best time to replace your refrigerated vehicle can help you prepare to make purchases in advance instead of being forced to do so under less-than-ideal circumstances. When you’re ready to replace your vehicle, Emerald Transportation Solutions has a wide variety of refrigerated trucks and vans that can be a serious upgrade for your business. Feel free to contact us with any questions about our vehicles.
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What does under DOT mean?
Questions regarding DOT requirements come up often. 10,000 lbs GVW (gross vehicle weight) and over are commercial vehicles that fall under the Department of Transportation regulatory requirements.
What is the difference between GVW and payload?
GVW or Gross Vehicle Weight is the entire weight of the vehicle including the payload. The payload weight represents the amount of cargo you are hauling.
What is a self-powered unit and a vehicle-powered unit?
A self-powered unit has its own fuel source and will run independent of the truck. This is the heaviest and most expensive option. While vehicle-powered units run off the engine via a compressor mounted on the engine. These are less expensive and lighter in weight but you must run the truck or plug the electric standby into shore power.
What does K-factor mean and why is that important?
K-factor is a term that stands for the overall insulating value of the container (truck body). Quite simply the lower the K-factor the better the truck body will be able to maintain a given temperature and require less energy to do so.
How much lighter is a Poly Van vs a US spec body?
Poly Van bodies are very light. On average we estimate we are 75-150 lbs per foot lighter than a traditional sheet and post foamed in place body. These weight savings translates to less fuel burn and less CO2 emissions, along with added payload, the most important benefit.
