10 Maintaining and Caring Tips for Chiller Truck

10 Maintaining and Caring Tips for Chiller Truck

In our normal use, the maintenance of chiller van rental transport and chiller trucks are inseparable. Only proper maintenance of the vehicles on time can ensure the normal use and extend the service life of the equipment. Usually the chassis engine is maintained according to the driving range, and the refrigeration unit is maintained according to the engine working hours. A chiller truck is designed to keep beverages and other food items fresh. A delivery expedition across the Dubai with perishable goods in tow involves a certain degree of drama.

Similarly, the only thing keeping the meat, medicine, fruit, flowers, or other products cool is the refrigeration unit in the trailer. It means it must maintain a controlled temperature ranging from -4 degrees Fahrenheit to +8 degrees Fahrenheit. For instance, a refrigeration unit installed in the vehicle is responsible for cooling and maintaining the beverage temperature. The production quality of these trucks should be fine. As they are subjected to extreme conditions, especially during delivery time; otherwise, if the conditions get worse, then check how much do semi-truck drivers make earning will be spent on the maintenance.

The same applies to any delivery truck rental that spends most of its time on the road, where temperature changes drastically at different times of the day and night. However, these vehicles require special care to continue working optimally without compromising. However, the production or safety standards required by many industries, such as those involving food vehicle or online retailing.

If your delivery truck rental breaks down, or the trailer shell suffers damage at any point, the defensive hindrance between the climate and your truck’s directed inside isn’t viable. To help, here are 10 maintaining and caring tips for refrigerated trucks that promote the holistic function of your fleet.

1. Check Oil Levels

Regularly check the oil levels in the engine to ensure smooth running and avoid overheating, especially when transporting refrigerated items such as cases of bottled Juices, milk, fresh cuts of beef and pork. However, ensure you have a high-quality oil that resists breaking down even at low temperatures before checking it regularly. It will also prevent corrosion of any part lubricated by the engine oils, including the air intake system that ensures stable gas breathing into carburetor or fuel injection systems.

2. Inspect Tires

Regularly inspecting your chiller truck’s tires is very important, incredibly if the tires are inflated with cold air. Make sure that they are correctly filled to their optimum pressure as set out by the manufacturer. Over or under-inflated tires can lead to several problems, including irregular wear of tire treads and poor gas mileage. Under-inflation of the truck’s tires will result in more frequent tire changes, both costly and time-consuming.

3. Pre- and Post-Trip Checks

At least once a month, inspect your chiller truck for any loose or worn-out parts such as hoses that might need repairing or replacing before they start leaking. There may be cases where you notice some unusual noise coming from different components. Although not critical, it is advisable to have them checked by an expert before things get worse. Before a driver leaves, they check several facets of the truck for issues, including:

• Wall damage
• Door seal security
• Temperature calibration
• Air chute integrity
• Fluid levels
• Tire Pressure
• Headlight function
• Engine health
• Proper airflow (Upon Loading)

4. Keep the Truck Clean

First, clean the trailer after each and every shipment. Begin by pressure washing or wiping down the floor, ceiling, walls, and your door seals. All surfaces can harbor harmful mold and bacteria, so you need to be thorough. Due to the sensitive nature to the goods you transport, it’s too easy to cross-contaminate your next load via residual organic material. Built up over time, this can compromise hundreds of dollars of product at once.  Make sure you keep your truck clean by regularly washing it both inside and outside. It will help get rid of any dirt, dust, or grease that may have accumulated over time and could cause problems such as reduced efficiency or even a breakdown. Washing the truck will also make it look good and last longer.

5. Drain the fluids

Before storage, if you do not use your truck for an extended period, make sure you drain all the fluids from the engine. Also, including oil, brake fluid, radiator coolant, and power steering fluid. Failure to do so may damage these fluids and lead to expensive repairs when you finally start using the truck again.

6. Use Winter Weight Oil

In cold weather conditions, always use a winter weight oil in your truck’s engine. In addition, replace the standard air filter with one designed to function in low temperatures. A refrigeration unit is powered by diesel fuel, so anticipate using more fuel than you would with a nonpowered dry van trailer. In fact, at some loading docks, shippers will not load a reefer freight on less than three-quarters of a tank of fuel.

7. Schedule Fleet Maintenance for Legit Check

Prior to every trip, you ought to mainly review the fresh air and temperature settings. Similarly, check coolant and oil levels, evaluate the drains, assess the locks and seal on the door. In addition, evaluate the drains and visually assess the ‘skin’ or walls of the insulated space for cracks.

Skilled refrigerated van operators understand that keeping a close ear and eye out for any vehicle changes is the best line of defense against any breakdowns. After that, within routine use of the refrigerated van, take note of any deviations or changes from its standard performance. If your refrigeration unit takes a little longer than normal to cool down, if it’s making odd sounds or if you see any other weird behaviors, make certain that you to schedule a trip to the mechanic as soon as you can.

However, refrigeration equipment maintenance may either be carried out in-house or outsourced to suitably qualified and certified external provider(s). In both cases it is essential to establish an institutional or contractual framework with a clearly defined Service Level Agreement (SLA). Stating the specific maintenance standards, maintenance intervals and maximum acceptable emergency response times that are required in order to protect valuable drug products from damage or loss.

In addition to standard maintenance, you may need to take it a step further if you have temperature controlled trucks that transport frozen, refrigerated, or other temperature-sensitive products. In those cases, you have cooling systems that must be maintained. These intervals apply only if everything is in good order if any defects are found then checks and essential emergency repairs should be undertaken on a daily basis.

8. Follow Loading/Unloading Guidelines

During loading & unloading, don’t keep the refrigeration unit running. Shut it down while the box truck doors are open to avoid drawing in warm, humid air. Warm air can condense and freeze on the evaporator coil, which would disrupt airflow and send the unit into frequent defrost modes. Shutting it off will also reduce fuel consumption.

9. Prevent Contamination and Cross-Contact

Reefer truck drivers must prevent contamination of raw food or cross-contact. This starts with maintaining a clean trailer but extends to cover safe food hauling practices. Another increasing concern that must be prevented is cross-contamination of ingredients that are known food allergens, such as peanuts.

10. Insulation Efficiency

One way to check a refrigerated trailer’s insulation efficiency is to weigh the trailer at regular intervals, say Great Dane Trailers officials. This helps determine if there is moisture accumulation or water pickup through condensation or leakage into the insulation.

Wrapping Up!

Our 10 maintaining and caring tips and the benefits of having a fleet maintenance program are triple fold and it pays off. You will likely pass federal, state, and local inspections with ease. If you need upgrades to your refrigerated delivery fleet request a quote. We have 30 years’ experience and will make sure you have a fleet you can rely on.

In conclusion, maintaining a chiller truck is not as difficult as it may seem, but it is essential to follow the correct steps to keep your truck running smoothly and avoid costly repairs. By following the above 10 Maintaining and Caring Tips for Chiller Truck outlined in this article, you can rest assured that your chiller truck will be in good condition and ready for any delivery job that comes it is the way.