An alternative to the refrigerated vehicle: distribution in a standard van

For operations that run twenty drops a day inside the city, carry a pallet or two of chilled goods and already own standard vans: keep the cold in a closed container next to the goods instead of in the vehicle body.

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Short answer

An alternative to a refrigerated vehicle is an insulated container prepared for the route and carried in a suitable standard vehicle. GEBHARDT states that Isotec can protect the cold chain for up to 24 hours in a defined configuration and operating conditions. Suitability must be checked against the goods, route, payload, hygiene, records and applicable transport rules. Pre-trip preparation, door and dwell planning, monitoring, transfer contingencies and capacity must also be documented.

Who this page is for

10-30 drops a day on an urban round
One to three pallets of chilled or frozen goods per route
Dry, chilled and frozen loads in one vehicle
Standard vans and light trucks already in the fleet
Capacity that peaks in season and idles the rest of the year

A refrigerated vehicle combines an insulated body with a refrigeration unit. On multi-stop urban, partial-load or multi-temperature routes, a closed-container arrangement can also be assessed. The basic system is explained in how a refrigerated vehicle works, while body, insulation and door details are covered in what a refrigerated body is made of.

What a reefer actually cools

A refrigerated vehicle cools the air in its body. The unit may be driven by the vehicle engine, by its own diesel engine or electrically; the choice must be checked against the body, route and stop pattern. The Turkish Ministry of Education's vocational module describes different drive arrangements; its body-length examples are not one universal rule for every current vehicle.

Door openings can increase warm, humid air entering the body. MEB's 2013 training module considers door use, infiltration and service heat loads together. Prepare the goods and body before loading, keep airflow paths clear and follow the unit's own instructions for operation while doors are open.

On a trunk run these effects may occur a few times per trip; on urban distribution they follow the stop and dwell pattern. Unit running time, ambient conditions, door-open time and the load's heat condition should be calculated together.

Where the cold sits: body air or closed container

The second route takes the cold source off the vehicle and puts it beside the goods. An insulated container is a closed box: frozen eutectic plates go inside it and, depending on the plate regime, hold a chilled or a frozen load. The body does not need an on-vehicle refrigeration unit; the standard vehicle still has to be checked for the goods, hygiene, payload, route and applicable carriage rules.

The cold source is prepared at the depot, not generated by an on-vehicle refrigeration unit. Plates freeze on a rack and go into the container in the morning. The vehicle still carries the mass of the load, container and plates; that matters in an electric vehicle's range calculation. Even with the container lid shut, ambient conditions, dwell time, load arrangement and the moments when it is opened affect the result.

The regime is separated per container, too. Two containers may be prepared with different plate regimes only after the product conditions, records, payload and route have been checked. Dry goods can ride in the rest of the body.

In exchange it asks for discipline. The container has to be pre-cooled, goods loaded at the right temperature, the lid kept shut between stops and the delivery order set so the container is not opened for nothing. Options on the road are limited, so the preparation and monitoring plan must be checked beforehand.

Which one wins which job

Situation	Refrigerated vehicle	Insulated container plus eutectic plates
Long distance, full load, few stops	Strong	Regime hours limit the length of the round
Urban round, 10-30 stops	Loss varies with the door and dwell pattern	Even with the lid shut, ambient conditions, dwell time and the opening plan affect the result
One to three pallets, partial load	The unit serves the body's full heat load; hours and fuel vary with route and conditions	Only the loaded container and its prepared cold source are configured
Different temperatures on one route	A multi-compartment body or validated separate compartments may be needed	Two containers, two regimes; validate goods, records and route together
Vehicle in service or broken down	A backup or transfer plan is needed; the load condition does not disappear instantly	A container can move to another vehicle, subject to time and capacity
Seasonal peak in capacity	Extra vehicle or rental; fixed cost and utilisation need checking	Growth is limited by container count, freezing capacity, payload and return logistics
Switching to electric vehicles	An on-vehicle refrigeration unit adds an energy and range load	No on-vehicle refrigeration load; container, plate and goods mass still count in range
Night delivery	Unit noise and operating conditions need checking	The vehicle is not silent; there is no running unit, but handling and operational noise remain

What to work out for your own route

The figure comes out of your operation. The lines that make the comparison mean something:

hours the unit runs per round; fuel or energy must be read with load, ambient conditions and door pattern
scheduled servicing, and the deliveries that stop on the days the vehicle is in the workshop
internal volume and payload given up to the unit and the insulation
whether a vehicle committed to refrigeration can go back to dry work
noise limits on night and early-morning delivery, and remaining range for an electric vehicle
the goods' loading temperature, required condition and the record that verifies it
freezer/rack capacity for pre-cooling, waiting time and lid openings
how many months a year the peak-season capacity stands idle

Compare both arrangements for the same trip. Start with trip duration, drop count, cold volume, loading temperature and required condition, ambient conditions, door openings, waiting time, body and door dimensions, total load mass and months worked per year. Send these inputs so suitable vehicle and container configurations can be assessed against the actual operation.

How it is set up with Isotec

The programme runs on the GEBHARDT Isotec TBX: nine sizes from 410 to 1500 litres, with a 500-700 kg payload range and different plate configurations. GEBHARDT's 0…+2 °C fresh-zone and -21…-25 °C deep-freeze values describe pre-cooling targets for the container, not universal product rules. GEBHARDT describes Isotec TBX as ATP and HACCP certified for food transport. The up-to-24-hour statement applies to the suitably configured, closed system under its operating conditions.

Alongside the container: freezing racks that take plates down to the core, rails that hold the plate under the ceiling, and EPP thermoboxes for the last few metres. Size and plate regime follow the route, the volume and the target temperature; send those three facts and we propose the right one of the nine sizes.

The record side

For covered quick-frozen foodstuffs, the Turkish Food Codex requires -18 °C or lower at every point; a brief rise of no more than 3 °C is allowed only in transport, distribution and the retail cabinet, not as a storage tolerance. This rule does not automatically apply to every frozen product. Recording carriage conditions with date and time and keeping the records is also a requirement specific to quick-frozen food under a separate communiqué.

For quick-frozen food, recording carriage conditions with date and time is a legal requirement; for other goods, the record plan follows the product, contract and applicable rules. A logger inside the container provides operational evidence but does not replace the product-temperature check at goods-in.

Products used for this job

Isotec TBX Insulated Container

Eutectic Plates

Eutectic Plate Freezing Racks

Thermobox (EPP)

Sources

Neighbouring jobs

Cold chain logistics →Frozen food distribution →E-commerce & last mile →Refrigerated-van alternative: measure the route properly How to calculate the real cost of a refrigerated vehicle How to compare insulated containers with a reefer vehicle Rent or buy a refrigerated vehicle? Compare the same use What the five centimetres granted to a refrigerated body are for Fifteen years on the plate: changing the body to stay in the cold chain What the cold chain is →Isotec guide hub →Cold chain logistics →

Frequently asked

Can -18 °C be held without a refrigerated vehicle?

For a frozen round, the goods enter in their required condition and the container and plates are prepared before loading; the container should stay shut through the trip. GEBHARDT's up-to-24-hour statement applies to that suitably configured, closed system; the deep-freeze pre-cooling target is -21 to -25 °C and the recommended pre-cooling time is 12-20 hours. Those preparation values do not replace the frozen-product requirement of -18 °C or lower. Trip length, openings, ambient conditions, fill level and preparation quality change the duration. Send the route over and we will assess which plate regime suits it.

Can chilled and frozen goods travel in the same vehicle?

Yes, where the product conditions allow it and the containers are kept separate. One container is prepared for the required condition of its goods and another for the frozen regime; dry goods ride in the rest of the body. GEBHARDT's 0…+2 °C fresh-zone figure for Isotec is a container pre-cooling target, not a universal rule for all chilled goods. Records, the opening plan and payload still need checking when three conditions travel on one route.

Is a refrigerated vehicle necessary for a small shipment?

In a reefer the unit serves the body's full heat load; running hours and consumption depend on the route, ambient conditions, the load's starting condition and the door pattern, not just pallet count. With a closed container only the loaded box and its cold source are prepared, leaving the rest of the body available for dry goods. On partial and multi-stop work, compare those operating arrangements rather than assuming a fixed saving.

Can cold distribution be run with an electric vehicle?

On an electric vehicle, an on-vehicle refrigeration unit draws energy and range. A container has no running refrigeration unit because the plates are prepared at the depot. The container, plates and goods still add to the carried mass and therefore to the range calculation. Charging, total weight and route must be checked together.

Which size fits our vehicle?

The Isotec TBX comes in nine sizes from 410 to 1500 litres, on castors or a pallet base. Selection does not follow body dimensions alone: check door opening, base and handling method, total load mass, daily volume, trip duration, required product condition and pre-cooling capacity together. Send those inputs and we will compare suitable sizes and quantities.

How is the temperature record kept?

For quick-frozen food, ambient temperature during carriage is recorded with date and time and the records are kept. On the container side the record is taken by a logger placed inside the box, and product temperature is measured separately at goods-in. Both records belong to the same file.