Refrigerated vans and utes play a vital role in helping Australian businesses deliver temperature-sensitive goods safely and efficiently. Increasingly, companies are choosing to rent these vehicles on long-term agreements rather than purchasing them outright. This shift allows for greater flexibility, reduced upfront costs, and fewer ownership responsibilities.
If your business handles perishable goods and is exploring cold delivery options, this article will help you understand why refrigerated vans and utes, particularly through long-term rental plans, are a smart and scalable investment.
As a dedicated cold fleet partner, Eurocold can help your business buy or rent a refrigerated van or truck for your cold delivery needs. Before you do, though, understanding why it is the right choice is essential. Here’s all you need to know.
Is There Really a Market for Refrigerated Vans and Utes?
Short answer: absolutely.
Refrigerated trucks were invented back in the 19th century and have been used ever since. While it’s hard to know exactly how many refrigerated vans and utes are on the roads at any time, it is suggested that a lot of all domestic freight journeys in Australia are made using a refrigerated UTE. With almost 50,000 businesses in this sector, it’s safe to say there are a lot.
Moreover, the online arena has made it far easier for businesses to deal with companies or customers from across Australia and beyond. If delivering perishables to suppliers, stores, or consumers in other locations can translate to increased profits, businesses would be foolish to ignore them.
Australia’s cold chain market hit $6bn in 2024 and is set to surpass $30bn by 2033. The CAGR of just under 20% shows just how quickly the sector is growing. The opportunities for companies to grow or startups to establish their place have never been greater.
Which Industries Benefit from Facilitating Cold Deliveries?
Cold fleet solutions may be used by companies across a wide range of industries, especially given the challenges of keeping items cold in the Australian heat without a refrigerated ute. While not all businesses need to worry about climate control during freight transportation, companies in the following fields are likely to benefit from it;
- Food companies – refrigerated trucks benefit food products in a number of ways and ultimately result in longer shelf lives and increased quality, which leads to greater satisfaction. Freshly baked goods, organic produce, and foods designed to be refrigerated by the consumer are just some of the affected items.
- Floristry businesses – whether transporting flowers and plants across town or across Australia, maintaining a cool temperature can be a key step towards keeping products and profits in good health. From supplying florists or shops to delivering flowers directly to customers, a large part of this sector can benefit from having a refrigerated van.
- Pharmaceutical operations – an extensive range of medications must be stored at a low temperature and out of direct sunlight. A refrigerated ute is the ideal asset to prolong the half-life of medicines while making it easier to keep items organised, regardless of travelling short or long distances.
- Catering firms – catering foods dealing with fresh foods ready for consumption upon arrival need to keep prepared foods, as well as ingredients, fresh. Pulling a refrigerated hardside allows for a good volume of food to be carefully transported from the point of supply to the event venue or business setting.
Ultimately, any business in any industry needing consistent cold chain transport can benefit from the use of refrigerated vans and utes. In truth, it’s not simply a bonus – it’s a necessity that must be respected by companies large and small.
Exploring the Benefits of Refrigerated Vans and Utes
Their popularity is a clear indication of their quality but why is a refrigerated van or truck the ideal choice for businesses across Australia?
It essentially boils down to the fact that using refrigerated vans can help the business scale new heights compared to persisting with standard freight vehicles. Whether working in food, pharma, or related industries doesn’t matter. The key benefits are detailed below:
Maintaining Product Quality
Refrigerated vans and utes provide the most effective solution for keeping items fresh for when they reach their destination. This could mean prolonging the life of medications or ensuring that fresh produce retains the desired taste.
At a time when consumers have lost trust in grocers, the need for product quality is greater than ever. Not least because, unlike most sectors, a single negative food experience can end a consumer’s trust in the brand or company. A lot of people will tell friends and family about those negative experiences too.
Refrigerated vans help keep items, especially foods, under control. It retains their taste, feel, and shelf life to support a far better consumer experience. Great product quality will translate to improved customer satisfaction, fewer returns, and bigger larger profits.
Reducing Spoilage
Aside from stopping products losing quality, a refrigerated ute can actively prevent spoilage too. Ensuring that the full load arrives at its intended destination without damage makes all the difference. Logistically and financially.
Food waste stands at 7.6 tonnes per year in Australia and spoilage during transportation is a contributing factor. The failure to keep items at the right temperature can see them expire before reaching their destination. A dedicated refrigerated van also makes it easier to avoid issues like contamination or products falling and breaking.
Food spoilage can lead to direct financial losses, time losses, increased carbon emissions, damaged reputations, and a host of other problems. If keeping items at the right temperatures with refrigerated trucks or vehicles will prevent this, you must not ignore it.
Meeting Compliance Standards
When working in the industries mentioned above, especially food or catering and pharma, you must comply with all standards. Otherwise, you will encounter fines and other repercussions including potential closure and legal ramifications.
Satisfying the 2–8°C temperature compliance during transportation is immensely important, and case studies have shown that failure to do this can be catastrophic. Many foods must also be kept at the right temperatures throughout the entire journey. A refrigerated vehicle delivers far more consistent and reliable results than other methods.
Crucially, tools can be implemented to monitor the temperature at all times, even when using dual-temperature spaces. This data can then be used to prove compliance while also keeping recipients (consumers or businesses) in the know.
Supporting Mobile Operations
The ability to go mobile can completely revolutionise a modern business. Aside from opening the door to an increased geographic reach, it is a move that facilitates direct-to-consumer sales. Cutting out the middleman in this way can boost productivity, revenue, and growth.
One famous example was My Muscle Chef’s partnership with HDS, which allowed the food company to deliver its healthy pre-made meals directly to consumers in 4,500 postcodes. Naturally, supporting mobile operations is great for reach, but it additionally allows companies to remove the need for stores.
A streamlined process involves manufacturing, storage, and transportation. It’s efficient, cost-effective, and prevents a host of logistical nightmares. Many of the most suitable mobile businesses need to offer cold delivery options. Embrace it.
Flexibility
Crucially, it is better to have a temperature-controlled vehicle than not. After all, you can always not use the facilities and keep some items at room temperature during freight deliveries. The versatility certainly strengthens your position.
Aside from additional opportunities for your freight features, it’s an opportunity to work with companies. If you have purchased a cold delivery vehicle, you can offer other companies to fill the remaining space. This creates a new revenue stream and reduces overall carbon emissions by combining the needs of multiple firms.
In business, a little flexibility goes a long way to keeping you on top. Rather than relying on inferior products, outside companies, and good fortune, it’s better to remove any doubt. Refrigerated vans are the answer.
What Other Options are Available and Why are Utes Better?
Refrigerated vans aren’t the only possible solution for managing cold deliveries. Other options include;
- Packaging coolants including gels, dry ice, and insulated boxes,
- Thermal blankets or cold blankets,
- Alternative fans and cooling equipment for the vehicle.
However, courier services can take on average 2-4 days to reach their destination. Any company planning to complete frequent freight deliveries containing perishables, especially when covering long distances, will find that refrigerated vans are a superior solution to any of the alternatives above.
How to Use a Refrigerated Vans and Utes to their Full Potential
The benefits of using a refrigerated van for cold delivery should be clear, but companies can only enjoy the rewards if they use them correctly.
For many, hiring a vehicle is a far smarter move than buying one. An expert like Eurocold will help businesses find the right van(s) for their needs, ensuring that the right size and features are selected. It is also the easiest way to know that utes will perform as expected. Even in the rare cases that a fleet is hit by a faulty vehicle, working with a reliable cold fleet partner can get you back on the road ASAP.
Additional steps towards optimal success include but are not limited to;
- Integrate the right fleet management tools for managing journeys,
- Utilise real-time temperature tracking that can be monitored by end users,
- Store items in sections based on temperature sensitivity and needs,
- Keep all goods secured to help avoid spillages or related damage,
- Hire the right freight drivers for your business in Australia.
A winning combination of the right vehicles and strategies can help you master the cold delivery process to enjoy the sweet taste of cool profits. The road to success starts now. Buy or hire refrigerated vans and utes from Eurocold.