Castell Howell has expanded its 33-year partnership with Carrier Transicold by acquiring 20 new Supra HE 13 Multi-Temperature (MT) refrigeration units, marking the first use of these multi-temperature models on UK roads. The food wholesaler, based in Carmarthenshire, is integrating the units into its temperature-controlled fleet of trucks and trailers.
The Supra HE 13 MT units will be installed on a mix of 14-tonne Volvo FL and 16-tonne DAF XF rigid trucks, each featuring insulated box bodies from Gray & Adams. These vehicles include both new fleet additions and replacements. Around 90% of Castell Howell’s 200 commercial vehicles are now equipped with Carrier Transicold technology.
The Supra HE 13 MT offers a more compact, lighter, and quieter system with enhanced efficiency. It includes a single drive belt powertrain and variable-speed fans, reducing fuel consumption by up to 27% compared to the legacy Supra 1250. The unit also has one-third fewer brazed joints, lowering the risk of refrigerant leaks, and features extended maintenance intervals to improve reliability.
Weighing 149 kilograms less than the Supra 1250 and even smaller than the Supra 750, the new condenser design increases cab tipping clearance by 6.5 cm and improves aerodynamics. Its high cooling capacity and fast pull-down speeds are suited to Castell Howell’s intensive multi-drop delivery operations.
The new vehicles will operate from Castell Howell’s headquarters in Llanelli, covering up to 70,000 km annually with plans to remain in service for up to 10 years. This delivery is part of a larger order of 37 Carrier Transicold systems, which includes the company’s first all-electric 18-tonne Volvo FM with an engineless Iceland 11 MT unit.
