Have you ever considered a career in truck driving? Perhaps you’ve considered owning a trucking business yourself but don’t know where to start. Refrigerated trucks and transport is a lucrative business or career path to enter into. Thousands of commodities and goods are transported using such trucks in order to get them from A to B safely.
With refrigerated transportation, this controlled atmosphere and temperature are helpful in maintaining the quality and reserving the longevity of such goods until after they reach their destination.
So what do you need to kickstart your truck driving career within the refrigerated transport industry? What would you need as a business if venturing into it with a much bigger investment perspective? This guide will share everything that you need to know in order to explore both a career or business opportunity in the refrigerated transport industry.
What benefits does the refrigerated transport industry offer?
This guide will explore both paths into the refrigerated transport industry, whether you fancy driving the trucks yourself or creating a fleet of drivers for the business. There are many benefits to the refrigerated transport industry and it’s no surprise as it brings in a lot of money.
It’s expected that the Europe refrigerated truck rental market size alone is to be valued at USD 35.4 billion by 2027. With that being said, it’s worthwhile joining this industry in whatever capacity you wish to do so.
Offers career stability
Career stability is something that comes with this type of job. There will always be a requirement for truck drivers because most countries rely on shipments on a domestic and international scale. Without truck drivers, the landscape of food and goods transport would likely look a lot different.
There will always be a need for the transportation of perishable goods
Perishable goods will always be needed and in order to get those goods from one place to another in a hygienic and safe manner, refrigerated trucks are needed.
Without refrigerated trucks, many retailers and businesses would struggle to provide their customers with the goods they need.
Expands reach for an already existing truck business
If you’ve already got a trucking business in existence, you may not yet have ventured into the refrigerated trucking niche of this industry. There are opportunities for expansion for businesses that already got their feet firmly planted in this business market.
Useful for adhering to regulations and global transportation compliance
There are a lot more rules and regulations in place nowadays that weren’t in place a few decades or so ago. A lot has changed and so a modern trucking driver or business needs to be compliant when transporting goods. This is particularly the case when handling perishable goods that need to be kept in a temperature-controlled environment.
How to get into a career in refrigerated transport
How do you get into a career in refrigerated transport? Is it as easy as becoming a truck driver in general? In this section, we’ll explore everything you need to kickstart your truck driving career within this niche.
Consider the working hours and work-life balance
Before you venture into a career path like this one, it’s important to be aware of the working hours that this career type demands. While the work may be flexible in how many hours you do, there may be companies who require you to do certain shift patterns and those shifts may not be work-life friendly.
It may also influence how much time you get to spend at home and how much time you’re out on the road. For some, that lifestyle and type of work might not be for them, which is why you want to think carefully about this type of career path.
Get the right license and qualifications
To operate in this field of business, you need to be able to drive a truck and operate refrigerated trucks in general. While you are driving the truck from A to B, you’ll need to know how to drive such a big vehicle and how to ensure the goods on board stay in perfect condition when in your care.
That’s why it’s important to ensure you have your HGV license as this will allow you to drive and operate refrigerated trucks, amongst other heavy goods vehicles.
Find a trucking business to work for
Once you’ve acquired your license and any necessary qualifications, you’ll want to find the right trucking business to join. There are lots out there and like all companies, each one offers something different to its truck drivers.
It’s worth doing your research and getting a good understanding of what they’re offering you and whether it fits your needs.
Freelance your services and rent the truck yourself
If you’re looking to expand on your career and have more flexibility in the field, then it may be work getting your own driving truck. This is a costly expense, however, you could always rent the truck from a company like ourselves, Eurocold, who provide rental trucks as and when they’re needed.
That may offer you a more flexible career without going that one step further in starting a business yourself.
Five tips for starting a business in refrigerated transport
Looking to go one step further and start your own business? If you’re already present in this career path, you might want to explore the opportunity of leading a fleet yourself.
- Assess and analyse current market opportunities
- Research investors and gather funds
- Find the right type of refrigerated truck rental service
- Choose your niche
- Network and expand your business
If you’re looking to start a career in the refrigerated transport industry, then it’s worth making sure you’ve considered it thoroughly and acquired your HGV license. From there, you can choose to build your experience with an existing transport business or start your own eventually.
With a growing industry, the refrigerated trucking market is one that is worth investing your time in, both career and business-wise. It is and will always likely be, a much-required service.