If you’re planning on purchasing a fridge van, it’s vital to understand how to use and maintain it. A fridge van might differ from a typical vehicle; hence it may require extra care and maintenance.
While a fridge van can benefit your business, failure to maintain it carefully can attract unimaginable losses. It’s, therefore, vital to ensure it’s always in good condition and the temperature is excellent to prevent spoilage, especially if you buy used fridge vans for sale. Here are some tips on using and maintaining a fridge van.
- Prioritize Servicing
As with any vehicle, a fridge van, too, requires regular servicing and maintenance. If you ignore servicing your fridge van, there are high chances of the engine overheating or freezing. Fortunately, you can avoid such incidences by having your van serviced by a professional mechanic at least once yearly.
While there are many professional mechanics, not all are experienced in handling refrigerated vans. Therefore, ensure the mechanic of your choice understands the vehicle to avoid making mistakes.
It’s vital to learn the manufacturer’s specifications when investing in a fridge van. Different manufacturers design various vans with specific requirements. For instance, particular fridge vans require a specific type of oil. Once you use the wrong oil on them, the van can experience some issues, including corrosion and other mechanical faults. Therefore, ensure you and your mechanic understand specifics whenever servicing the van.
- Clean It Regularly And Carry The Correct Cargo
You should always clean your fridge van after every shipment. Failure to which you’ll encourage harmful bacteria, mold, and other residues to build up in your van. When your van is contaminated, the chances of cross-contamination increase.
You should also avoid loading your fridge van with unsuitable cargo. For example, if you use the van to ship medication or food, loading it with pathogenic cargo can lead to fatal cross-contamination, especially if you don’t clean the van regularly.
When cleaning your van, ensure it’s empty. Use multi-surface or heavy-duty cleaner if your van can withstand the chemicals. You should remember that bacteria, mold, and germs can attach to any surface; hence clean the floor, walls, ceilings, and door seals.
If there are tough stains on your van, use a scraper, but avoid scraping too aggressively to avoid damaging the van. After cleaning, allow the van to dry before loading a new batch of cargo.
- You Can Utilize A Fridge Van As A Storage
Besides transporting perishable goods that need to be frozen or kept cold, you can use a fridge van as additional storage. For example, if you’re a butcher or you’re into selling perishable goods, a fridge van can be helpful if you have limited storage.
- Perform Regular Tune-Ups
Performing regular tune-ups is another way to ensure your fridge van performs at its best. Regular tune-ups include assessing coolant and oil levels and ensuring the oil is always clean. Your fridge van will likely run better if you maintain proper coolant and oil levels. Generally, it would help if you change the oil every 3,000 miles.
Fridge vans differ from regular vehicles since they’re super sensitive to dust, water, and dirt. These contaminants can interfere with the van’s ability to maintain consistent temperatures. Therefore, when performing tune-ups, you should check if contaminants have accessed the refrigeration unit to prevent a negative impact on temperature. Any tune-up that involves disassembling the refrigerator should only be done by a professional to avoid further problems.
- Don’t Ignore Minor Issues
As the saying goes, a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. Likewise, a massive problem with your fridge van stems from a minor issue. If, for example, you determine your fridge van is taking longer to cool down or it’s making strange noises. You should contact a professional mechanic as soon as possible.
While you can be tempted to ignore minor issues, doing so will only aggravate the problem into a more costly one. Whether or not your livelihood depends on the van, never ignore even a minor issue.
- Perform A Pre-Trip Inspection
Besides other check-ups, performing a pre-trip checklist after every shipment is vital. If you have several fridge vans, ask your drivers to help you accomplish the checklist. Ensure the fridges are clean, look for cracks and damage, and determine if the seals are in perfect condition.
- Maintain The Correct Temperatures
There’s a reason fridge vans contain cooling systems. Their main objective is to transport goods under particular temperatures to prevent spoilage. If the temperatures aren’t correct, goods transported will likely get contaminated or perish. For this reason, it’s vital to ensure your fridge van maintains the proper temperature for safe goods transportation.
Conclusion
Like other vehicles, a fridge van requires maintenance to function well. Perhaps, it even requires more care since it has some components lacking in typical cars. For example, a fridge vehicle might require extra care to maintain proper temperatures. If you own a fridge van, this guide helps you understand how to maintain it for excellent performance.
