Why Side Doors Are Needed On Refrigerated Vehicles
Joe Dickman | August 31st, 2021
Refrigerated vehicles are built with essential components that work together to maintain a consistent temperature inside. A side door via which products can be loaded and unloaded is one of the important characteristics seen on many of them. Continue reading to find out why side doors are needed on refrigerated vehicles.
Ease of Access
You’re not always going to have your truck cabin filled to the brim with products. For smaller and quicker deliveries, you may only need to reach a small section of the interior to load and unload goods. Instead of coming through the back entrance, a side door allows you to quickly grab what you need and get back on the road. This is especially helpful when you have many different stops you need to make but only need to unload a few items at a time.
Versatility
Sometimes deliveries must be made in narrow spaces or in areas where it is impossible to unload through the back. A side door provides you more alternatives, allowing you to deliver to almost any place without fear. These trucks also include several step-up choices that will enable delivery personnel to enter inside no matter where they are easily, such as a recessed step well, pull-out step, and stirrup step.
Types of Side Doors
Different types of side doors have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to loading and unloading.
Swinging Doors
You can find these in a single or double-door variety. The door opening typically measures between three and four feet in height. Like with their rear door counterparts, ensure there is enough room outside the vehicle to open the doors. The benefit of swing doors is that they allow for maximum height clearance within the box.
Roll-Up Side Door
This type of side door is much better when you are delivering in tight, cramped spaces. However, this door style reduces the height clearance within the box near the entrance by several inches. Like a rear roll-up door, these types of side doors don’t have as much insulation due to the nature of their design.
The most crucial reason why side doors are needed on refrigerated vehicles is that they give you more options for loading and unloading products. When you need a small refrigerated truck, Emerald Transportation has a wide selection to choose from. Whatever your refrigerated truck requirements are, we will design and build the right solution for your business. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
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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.
