Order shipping in a reefer based on a minibus. A small van-truck with a reefer

A minibus, or as it is commonly called, a van — is a small vehicle with a length of up to 5, and according to some classifications up to 6 meters. Buses themselves are developed on the basis of the chassis and components of passenger or cargo vehicles. Like their predecessors, vans share a common chassis and most of the spare parts.

Minibuses are used for transporting people and small cargo, most often over short distances. This type of transport has proven particularly effective in large cities. The maneuverability of a relatively small vehicle allows for quick movement in dense traffic and fast delivery of cargo to its destination.

This feature has led to the popularity of vans among cargo carriers. In turn, car manufacturers have started to develop and produce small trucks based on minibuses. The layout of such vehicles is as follows: the front part with the driver's seat, and sometimes with an additional row of seats behind it, is retained on the minibus frame. The remaining part of the frame accommodates a cargo box or body. Naturally, such transformations are only possible with minibuses built on the basis of frame vehicles. One option for such small trucks is a van-reefer.

Reefers based on minibuses

Many goods, primarily food products, need to maintain a specified temperature regime throughout their storage period to preserve their properties. This regime must also be maintained during the transportation of such goods. Refrigerators were invented to maintain temperature within certain limits, and later reefer trucks — refrigerators on wheels.

Modern logistics for frozen and chilled goods involves their delivery from the production point to the consumption point in large rail, sea, or truck reefers. At the arrival point, goods are unloaded into the refrigerators of warehouses and bases. Further transportation of goods to retail points is carried out by smaller vehicles that can move more easily in the urban traffic flow and can access places where large reefers cannot go. Van-reefers, at this stage of logistics, are very convenient and practically indispensable transport.

A reefer based on a minibus can be single-chamber, meaning it has a single cargo compartment, or it can be sectional. In sectional van-reefers, the cargo compartment is divided into separate refrigerator sections. Each of these sections can have its own temperature regime. This allows for the simultaneous transportation of goods with different temperature requirements. In modern cities, there are many small cafes, restaurants, and retail points that require a wide range but small batches of various chilled or frozen products. Therefore, sectional reefers based on minibuses are in high demand.

The carrying capacity of van-reefers ranges from 1 to 3 tons. The volume of the cargo compartment ranges from 8 to 17 cubic meters.

When to use a van-reefer

Reefers based on minibuses are convenient for transporting small batches of cargo over short distances. The unit cost of transporting cargo with this vehicle is quite high. When sending large batches of goods over long distances, it is better to use a reefer based on a large truck. The use of a van-reefer over long distances may only be justified for urgent delivery of expensive goods, for example, when transporting caviar from valuable fish species.