Refrigerated trailer

A refrigerated trailer, also known as a ‘reefer’, is usually a box van trailer, but with a refrigeration unit fitted to it, in addition to it’s body having special insulating properties. However, a curtainsider may also be refrigerated and is referred to as an 'insuliner’.

Refrigerated trailers can be single temperature controlled, when only one temperature is required at any one time, or multi temperature controlled, having different ‘compartments’ to enable cargo that requires different temperatures to be transported together. Goods can be transported as frozen or as chilled.

They are typically loaded / un-loaded via its rear doors, either at a loading bay or by using a tail-lift at the delivery location. Refrigerated trailers often have temperature recording and monitoring equipment to help manage the temperatures that the cargo is kept at.

Refrigerated trailers are available as single deck trailers and double deck trailers (also known as double decker trailers), the latter often with a ‘step-frame’ design, which together with the increased height, enables additional cargo to be carried. Double deck trailers can have their ‘second’ deck as a fixed deck or as a lifting deck that can be lowered and raised to load and un-load the cargo.

Reefers can have their refrigeration unit powered by a diesel engine or by battery, which is in turn powered by charging from the electricity grid and supplemented by solar power or by axle energy recuperation. Reefers whose refrigeration unit is powered by such non-diesel means are known as ‘e-reefers’. TIP offers three types of e-reefer refrigeration solution, each of which provides different advantages.

Visit our dedicated ‘e-reefer’ webpage for more information.

Refrigerated trailers are manufactured in the UK by Gray & Adams. Overseas manufacturers such as Schmitz Cargobull, Krone, Chereau and SOR also offer a refrigerated range of trailers.

TIP's fleet is equipped with refrigerator units from all the leading manufacturers.

TIP offers refrigerated trailers on a short-term rental or a long term lease basis from all of these leading manufacturers and others. TIP also offers ‘e-reefers’ on a trial basis.