Hunt’s Foodservice has taken delivery of 31 new vans and trucks fitted with Carrier Transicold refrigeration equipment, in a move designed to increase the versatility of its fleet by improving cold chain integrity on multi-drop delivery routes.
The new vehicles include 20 3.5-tonne MAN vans featuring Carrier Transicold Pulsor 400 MT, multi-temperature units specified by the customer. They are joined by three 7.5-tonne, two 12-tonne and six 18-tonne MAN rigids, each fitted with Supra 550, Supra 850 MT and Supra 1250 MT units respectively – a mixture of replacements and additions to the customer’s 120-strong fleet.
“Our priority is maintaining the integrity of the cold chain when the doors are constantly being opened on demanding multi-drop routes, where customers are often in close proximity to each other,” said Philip Hopkins, group transport manager, Hunt’s Foodservice. “Carrier’s systems effortlessly meet that challenge, which allows us to focus on providing the highest quality service to our customers.”
The Pulsor 400 MT unit uses Carrier Transicold’s patented E-Drive technology to transform the van’s engine power into electricity, providing rapid temperature pull-down and full refrigeration capacity at engine speeds as low as 1,000 rpm – ideal for congested city centres. Another benefit of the system is its ‘key out’ function, which allows the driver to leave the vehicle parked securely whilst making deliveries, without cutting power to the refrigeration unit.
Hunt’s Foodservice’s first Carrier Transicold system was a Supra 1250 MT unit, purchased in 2015. Having been impressed by its performance and reliability, the company has consistently selected Supra units for new trucks ordered since. Each of the units offers constant airflow, independent of truck engine speed, supplying rapid pull-down and accurate multi-temperature set point control.
The company expects to operate the vans for three years, while the trucks will be in service for five years. Both the Pulsor and Supra units are backed by Carrier Transicold’s comprehensive everCOLD fixed cost, full-service maintenance package, which includes annual temperature control testing and certification, full regulatory checks and access to Carrier Transicold’s oneCALL 24/7 incident management service.
Based out of depots in Sherbourne, Fareham and Bridgwater, the vehicles will be on the road up to six days a week, making deliveries of quality frozen and chilled goods, including fresh meats and ice cream, to customers across southern England.
