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Tips for Optimizing Refrigerated Van Operations

To transport perishable goods, you need to have efficient operation of refrigerated vans. By optimising the performance of your refrigerated van, you can improve productivity and minimise costs. This will also help ensure the integrity of your products.

You have to regularly maintain

The refrigerated van in order to keep it in an optimal condition. Therefore, regular inspections of the vehicle’s refrigeration unit has to be scheduled along with inspection of temperature control systems and insulation. When looking for refrigerated vans for sale check whether the manufacturer or the supplier offer a responsive customer service and ongoing support. You need to check for work-out components, leaks and signs of wear and tear so that the performance of the refrigerated van is not compromised. Qualified technicians should conduct regular servicing so that breakdowns can be prevented. This will help ensure consistency of temperature. Changes in temperature levels can affect the quality and safety of perishable goods when they are being transported. To prevent this from happening, you need to have a reliable temperature monitoring system so that temperature levels inside the van can be tracked and recorded in real time. There are digital temperature sensors and data loggers that can be used for this. You need to set a temperature threshold based on the product requirements and the related regulatory standards. There has to be a system that can alert you if there are deviations in temperature so that you can take corrective action.

To maximise space utilisation and reduce energy consumed,

There has to be efficient loading and organisation. You have to optimise load distribution so that even flow of air and temperature is distributed throughout the cargo area. There should be sturdy pallets, shelving and load securing systems so that the goods will not shift during the transportation periods. You can group similar products together and arrange them strategically depending on their temperature sensitivity. This can also be arranged according to delivery sequence to further streamline the loading and unloading processes. Idle time has to be minimised so that fuel consumption can be reduced. This will help bring down operating costs all the while maintaining a stable temperature inside the van. The routes can be planned in a way that detours can be minimised and you can analyse the demand patterns to optimise the delivery schedules.

You can maintain the desired temperature effectively

When you precool the refrigerated van before loading of goods starts. Short power or plug-in electric options can be utilised for pre-cooling without relying on the engine. Transit times can be minimised with efficient route planning and this can help reduce fuel consumption. You can have route planning software that uses GPS so that the most optimal routes can be identified based on road closures, traffic conditions and delivery priorities. Real-time traffic updates and weather forecasts can be incorporated so that the routes can be adapted in a dynamic way to prevent delays. Drivers should also be provided with detailed instructions for navigation and alternative routes to ensure the deliveries are on time. 

Deangelo Alvarez