Top Tips for Maintaining a Well-conditioned Refrigerated Van
Whether you’re delivering food, flowers or other fresh products, your refrigerated van is a major part of your business. Mechanical problems while you’re on the road can spell terrible results, both for your client and for you., from minor ones like delayed deliveries to major problems like spoilage due to a broken cold chain. To ensure that your goods remain cool all through the journey, follow these essential maintenance pointers to keep your refrigerated vehicle in excellent condition:
1. Schedule regular professional inspections.
Scheduling regular routine “checkups” for your refrigerated vehicle is a critical part of preventative maintenance. Newer models can often go about 100,000 miles in between inspections, but if you’re driving in particularly harsh conditions, you may change this to every 25,000 miles. Professional mechanics have specialist eyes and ears for slight problems that can become serious ones if left ignored, and are important in terms of your van running smoothly.
2. Perform regular tune-ups.
Another essential maintenance routine is checking if your oil is clean, and whether or not your oil and coolant levels are fine. Oil must be changed around every 3000 miles to maintain optimal performance. Refrigerated trucks are specifically sensitive to water, dust and dirt, which can impact their ability to remain at a stable temperature. During tune-ups, ensure that no contaminants end up in the refrigeration unit. Remember that any maintenance that demands dismantling components of the refrigeration unit needs to be performed by an experienced pro.
3. Perform pre-trip inspections.
Prior to each trip, perform a quick check of your refrigerated vehicle to make sure that everything is well and good. A traveling loaded vehicle is way more pricey and demanding to repair than an empty one idling in the garage, so you can actually save time and cash by doing an inspection prior to loading your cargo.
Before each and every trip, make sure the inside of the vehicle is clean and the walls of the insulated area have been inspected for cracks. Also, you’d like to check:
> lock and seals on the door;
> temperature and fresh air settings
> drains; and
> oil and coolant levels.
4. Look out for warning signs.
Professional refrigerated van operators know that having watchful eyes and ears when it comes to changes with their vehicles, is their best line of defense against mechanical problems. Any observed deviation should be taken note of. For example, if the refrigeration unit takes a lot longer to cool down than usual, or if it’s making weird noises, visit your mechanic immediately.
Keeping your vehicle in good condition is, indeed, critical; if you are unable to do so, your goods can perish prematurely, leading to frustration for your customer and a loss of profit and integrity for you. As the business owner, it is your responsibility to avoid these two scenarios.
Source: refrigerated van for sale
