How much does it cost to purchase a refrigerated truck?
There are a huge number of different refrigerated trucks on the road, and they vary in price tremendously. Like anything else, you really do get what you pay for. More expensive refrigerated trucks tend to be more capable than the cheapest ones. However, depending on your needs, you may be able to get away with buying one of the cheaper refrigerated trucks that are available. There are many things to take into account.
First of all, when thinking about the price of a refrigerated truck is the size. As you might expect, larger refrigerated trucks tend to be more expensive than smaller ones. It’s also worth bearing in mind the size of the engine, as well as the size of the refrigerated compartment. You might be able to cram a lot of stuff into a large refrigerated van, but without a powerful enough engine you’ll never be able to get a heavy payload moving.
Just like cars, the manufacturer of the refrigerated truck will have an influence on the price. You don’t necessarily get premium marques, and there’s no such thing as a “sports refrigerated truck”, but trucks from some manufacturers tend to be more reliable and more precisely engineered, and as such they command higher prices.
Types of Insulation
You will also have to take into account the insulation. This is one of the most important parts of the refrigerated truck and will make a big difference to the price. Thicker insulation equates to lower temperatures, so if you require a refrigerated compartment that can maintain very low temperatures, or even a freezer compartment, then you’ll have to spend a bit of extra money on thick insulation. The quality of the insulation matters too, and not all insulation material is created equal. Some of it is much denser and more durable than others, and there is also the option of removable panels or a permanent lining. The insulation options that you require will make a big different to price.
Types of Cooling Systems
The type of cooling system in the refrigerated truck will also make a difference. Most refrigerated trucks use an evaporator system. This is a very similar cooling system to that which is found in domestic refrigerators and freezers, although it’s much larger and usually much more precisely made. The more powerful and larger you need your cooling system to be, the more it will cost.
There is also another cooling option for refrigerated trucks. It uses huge frozen beams of heat absorbing gel, which are frozen late at night using an off-peak electricity supply. This type of refrigeration method is known as a “eutectic cooling” system. These aren’t suitable for many different types of refrigerated trucks, and many applications too, but they are usually cheaper than mechanical systems
Some refrigerated trucks have multiple compartments, and some only have a single compartment. Usually, in multiple-compartment refrigerated trucks, each compartment will be maintained at a different temperature. Usually one compartment is held at deep-freeze conditions, where as the other one is at a light refrigeration temperature, although differing configurations are available. Multiple compartment freezer trucks tend to be more expensive, as they require an extra interior wall with insulation, more doors, and more seals.
The way each compartment is chilled will also make a difference. Some multiple-compartment refrigerated trucks will have separate refrigeration mechanisms for each compartment. Others use a fan kit, which is a system that blows cold air from the lower temperature compartment into the higher one. Fan kits have improved over the last few years, but in most cases they are less precise than having a distinct refrigeration mechanism for each compartment. However, they are considerably cheaper, so if price is more important than precision then a fan kit might be the way to go.
All in all, it’s important to understand that the price of a refrigerated truck can vary wildly depending on the different options you choose. Usually a refrigerated truck can be obtained for any reasonable budget, but specialist applications that require large trucks or very low temperatures might be more expensive. Glacier Vehicles sells a wide range of both used and new refrigerated trucks which may be well suited to your business. Give us a call today!
