As a business owner of a refrigerated freight hauling fleet, you understand the importance of purchasing the best equipment. After all, your bottom line depends on your ability to provide fast and efficient reefer hauling services. Another less evident issue involving reefer hauling is keeping a refrigerated truck in good condition. For transporting foods in particular, you must also maintain clean refrigerated medium box trucks to comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.
Learn how to keep your reefer fleet of trucks clean and in good condition with these maintenance tips for refrigerated trucks.
Utilize Truck Washes
A truck wash is your greatest ally in keeping your small refrigerated box truck in pristine hauling condition. For a medium box truck, target areas for the trailer wash-out include the floor, walls, drain holes and door crevices. The refrigerated box truck wash-out process must be documented to comply with regulations. In addition, if the trailer is made using wood, this needs to be treated to meet the Food Safety Modernization Act rules.
For reefer trucks, search for a truck wash that also provides reefer trailer wash-out services. An alternative is to handle cleaning your refrigerated trailer after every load. For the majority of truck drivers and trucking companies, the most cost-effective solution to maintaining a clean reefer truck is by outsourcing truck wash services.
Protect Refrigeration Units
The power source of a refrigerated trailer is the cooling unit. Increase the efficiency and lifespan of your equipment with a single move — turn off the cooling unit when loading and unloading freight. As the doors to a small or medium-size refrigerated box truck are constantly opening, the temperature is fluctuating inside the truck.
This puts extra work on the engine, which causes your drivers to use more fuel. In addition, when warm, humid air enters the truck, this could condense on the evaporator coil, interrupting the airflow and causing the unit to kick into defrost. By making this one change, you can save your company money and improve the lifespan of your reefer trucks.
Perform Routine Maintenance and Inspections
Refrigerated truck maintenance and service by a professional truck leasing company is another way to keep your truck in good operating condition. Maintenance protects against wear and tear and is the best way to identify early signs of malfunction. However, you should also do your part to perform truck inspections for your reefer fleet.
Each of your drivers should be conducting pre- and post-trip inspections. This is key to ensuring the refrigerated truck units are operating in optimal performance. Even the slightest temperature fluctuation can cause a driver to lose his or her freight to spoilage. By monitoring the truck temperature and refrigeration unit periodically on every delivery, your drivers provide front-of-the-line protection against truck breakdowns.
Maintain a Quality Reefer Fleet
Along with maintaining FDA compliance for refrigerated food hauling, a clean trailer speaks volumes about your trucking company. Maintain your medium box trucks and refrigerated trailers in the same way that you will maintain your customers’ freight. A clean reefer truck also allows your drivers to safely transport freight for your shipping customers. This provides your company with job security — all thanks to keeping your refrigerated truck in good condition.