Trucking is a big business today, and trucks make up a generous slice of American carrier services today, alongside trains, airplanes, and naval vessels. After all, trucks can go to many places where ships and trains cannot, and they can deliver much smaller loads to specialized locations, while the larger vehicles are restricted to carrying massive amounts of freight from one major business center to another. Once a ship’s or train’s part of distribution is over, trucks often take over and deliver items to and from warehouses and retailers or other distribution centers, and many statistics exist today to show just how vigorous this industry is. And sometimes, certain types of trucks are bought new or used to carry specialized cargo, such as those sensitive to heat or cold. A reefer trailer or reefer unit, for example, is ideal for this. What is a reefer trailer, and what businesses will hire their services the most? Can wholesale reefer units be found for a good price?
On Trucks
Cooled trucks like a used Thermo King truck take part in the larger American trucking industry, and many carrier services will have their own fleets of trucks that are available for shippers to make use of. In fact, the profession of carrier brokers exists just to manage the relationship between shippers and the truck carrier services that they hire to deliver freight. How big is trucking today? Many thousands of truck are out there delivering goods for retailers and more industrial clients alike, and many of them are reefer units in particular, such as truck and trailers like a used Thermo King truck or a new reefer unit. In short, a reefer trailer is a truck’s storage bay that is equipped to chill the contents and manage their low temperature during transport; in effect, a refrigerator or a freezer on wheels, and there is plenty of demand for such vehicles.
Reefer trucks like a used Thermo King unit and refrigerated units in buildings alike are vital for American business today, and many warehouses may have cooler units to match those of reefer trucks. In 2015, for example, the worldwide refrigerated market was valued close to $5 billion, and experts believe that by 2022, the value may go up by another $2 billion. Similarly, FTR Transportation Intelligence has shown that in January 2018, American businesses ordered nearly 40,000 refrigerated trailers, and the number of such trailers ordered between January 2017 and January 2018 rose by a huge 250%, just in one year’s time. Today, nearly 500,000 reefer units are in operation across the United States, and businesses may buy them new or used, such as a used Thermos King or a cutting edge new trailer for delicate goods.
Who makes use of these trucks and trailers? A carrier reefer, or rather a small fleet of them, is essential for any food grocer today, and major and minor grocers across the United States will sell frozen or chilled food products such as dairy like milk and cheese, along with meats, eggs, juices, and frozen food like pre-made dinners or boxes of chicken nuggets or more, and these cold-sensitive items would be ruined if they were stored inside a regular truck’s back with dry goods like cereals or pet food. Instead, grocers will hire a mixed fleet of conventional carriers along with reefer units, with the latter carrying all the frozen foods, milk, meats, and more. These trucks will have their goods unloaded by crew at a grocery store’s dock, and those cold items can be put into the store’s own chilled units right away.
A carrier company looking to take on more grocery store clients may need to add more reefer units to its fleet if it does not already have some, as a company lacking them cannot fully deliver for grocery stores or wineries (wine cannot be allowed to get too warm, either). A company will browse the market for such vehicles to add to its fleet, and depending on the budget and need, this carrier may buy new, cutting edge reefers with great fuel efficiency and strict temperature control units, or it may make use of used reefers like a used Thermo King reefer. Used units should be inspected before purchase.