TBX and a refrigerated vehicle do not provide the same operating method. An active system manages the heat load in a suitable vehicle body with a running unit; a passive container carries a prepared cold source beside the goods in a closed volume. A combined setup may use both across one network, but the result must come from product, route and operating evidence.
Define the decision before requesting a quote. Put the required product condition, product and lot, actual carton envelopes, total load, loading condition, route and dwell, door or lid openings, delivery pattern, existing vehicles and load restraint in the quote file. Record the cold-source model, count and preparation method in the same record.
| Decision input | Active refrigerated setup | Passive TBX or similar container | Check for a combined setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product condition and actual load | Body heat load, cartons and total mass | Product condition, cartons and cold source per container | Keep the same product condition and record language |
| Route and openings | Body doors, dwell and load distribution | Lid plan, ambient conditions and dwell per container | State which leg uses which solution |
| Preparation and power | Unit, fuel/electricity and maintenance readiness | Plates or cold source, freezer and ready stock | Verify ready sets and vehicle capacity together |
| Vehicle, space and restraint | Carrying capacity, door clearance and body restraint | Container outside dimensions, vehicle space and movement restraint | Check suitability at every transfer and delivery point |
| Return and cost | Trip, maintenance and availability cycle | Return, cleaning, drying and re-preparation | Use the same period and use definition |
Product and load suitability come first
The product requirement alone does not choose active or passive. Cartons must pass the door, sit safely inside the box or body, and remain within carrying and restraint limits. In a passive container, cold-source space, separators and closure clearance reduce usable volume. In an active body, do not assume every load sees the same condition at every point; airflow, load arrangement and door openings are tested.
Measure the route and openings
In a route trial, record where doors or lids open, dwell time, ambient conditions, loading condition and full duration. When a refrigerated-body door opens, the effect depends on internal airflow and load distribution; the whole load is not automatically treated as affected at the same instant. In a passive setup, assess the opened container separately while closed containers remain subject to ambient and dwell conditions.
Preparation and handling capacity
For a passive option, determine when enough coolant sets will be ready for the next dispatch. Spare freezer litres alone are insufficient; rack layout, preparation time and dispatch frequency must fit together. For an active option, verify road and parked power, maintenance and the fallback for transferring goods after a failure.
GEBHARDT's product page distinguishes wheeled and pallet-base TBX configurations. Choose beyond litres: does the receiver need manual wheeling or pallet-truck/forklift handling? Check the vehicle opening, loading equipment, restraint and the total mass of goods, packaging, coolant and empty container.
GEBHARDT describes the Isotec TBX model and use scope on its official product page; read the TBX technical PDF and needs-analysis form with the actual product, route and capacity inputs. The eutectic-plate preparation source describes preparation conditions; it is not an automatic duration or outcome guarantee for any transport route.
Returns and cost per completed task
Containers still returning or being washed and dried are not ready dispatch capacity. Likewise, an active vehicle under maintenance is unavailable. Show the return-to-use interval as well as the daily dispatch count in the proposal.
Choose one accounting period for options transporting the same quantity of goods under the same delivery conditions. Add allocated equipment cost to energy, preparation, cleaning, returns and maintenance for that period. Use the same completed-shipment or goods-unit denominator on both sides; one container use is not automatically equivalent to one vehicle trip.
Handoffs in combined transport
In an illustrative combined route, goods arrive at a transfer point in a reefer and continue to receivers in separate containers. If the containers are used during the trunk leg too, preparation and temperature records must cover that leg as well. Record handoff times, product conditions and whether containers remained closed before treating the final leg as an independent test result.
Use this table with reefer or container? during quote discussions. Build the route card using the refrigerated-vehicle alternative: time and conditions guide.
Finish the decision record with one of three statuses: meets requirements, meets them under specified conditions, or remains unverified. List missing measurements and equipment for each option, then compare costs among options that complete the same task.
