Vehicle type
Refrigerated Truck & Reefer Transport South Africa
Refrigerated transport — commonly called reefer transport — keeps cargo inside a defined temperature band from collection to delivery. It is used for fresh produce, frozen product, dairy, chilled FMCG and pharmaceutical freight. The cold chain succeeds or fails on details: the correct set point, cargo pre-cooled before loading, airflow that is not blocked by over-stacked pallets, and disciplined door management at every stop.
Specification
- Body
- Insulated panel body with a refrigeration unit
- Temperature
- Set point agreed per load, chilled or frozen
- Monitoring
- Temperature monitoring capability confirmed where required
- Configurations
- Rigid reefer, refrigerated tri-axle, refrigerated superlink
- Loading
- Rear doors, with minimum door-open time
Typical cargo
- Citrus, subtropical and deciduous fruit
- Vegetables and salad lines
- Frozen meat, poultry and fish
- Dairy and chilled FMCG
- Temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical freight
Loading requirements
- Cargo must be pre-cooled — a reefer maintains temperature, it does not chill a warm load.
- Leave airflow channels; blocked returns create hot spots at the front of the body.
- Keep doors closed at waiting areas and load under cover where possible.
What to consider
- Tell us the exact required set point and whether chilled or frozen; "cold" is not a specification.
- Mixed-temperature consignments may need separate vehicles or a compartmentalised body.
- Long-haul reefer work depends on fuel for the unit as well as the truck — this affects the rate.
Questions
Refrigerated / Reefer transport FAQs
Can a reefer freeze a warm load?
No. Refrigeration units are designed to hold a temperature, not pull down warm cargo. Product must arrive at the loading bay already at the required temperature.
Do you provide temperature records?
Temperature monitoring capability is confirmed per load where the customer requires it. Tell us at quotation stage if recorded data must accompany the delivery.
Related routes and cargo
Need refrigerated / reefer capacity?
Tell us what you are moving, where it is collecting and where it needs to go. We will confirm the right vehicle and send you a rate.