Key considerations when leasing refrigerated trailers

There was a time when perishable goods were rarely transported further than just around the town where they were grown or manufactured. Things are very different in today’s connected world. In the United States, products are constantly moving from coast to coast and everywhere in between and need to be properly protected during their journey.

If your business sells items that require refrigeration, you probably use refrigerated trailers for transportation. The same applies if you use resources or raw materials that need to be kept cool on the way to your location.

In this article you will learn what refrigerated trailers are, how to use them and what you should know about leasing this type of equipment.

What is a refrigerated trailer?

As the name suggests, refrigerated trailers have built-in refrigeration capabilities to keep goods such as food, beverages, plants, medicines and others at a controlled temperature en route to their destination. This helps maintain their quality.

Modern refrigerated trailers were developed in the 1950s. Previously, truck drivers transporting perishable goods used trailers with ice storage systems. Although these trailers remained relatively cool, they had many limitations and products ranging from meat to fruit and vegetables often arrived in poor condition.

Temperature control in modern refrigerated trailers (often referred to as refrigerated trailers or simply refrigerated trailers) is managed by a Trailer Refrigeration Unit (TRU) mounted...