Technavio’s market research analyst predicts the global refrigerated road transportation market to grow at a CAGR of more than 26% between 2017 and 2021. The demand for refrigerated road transportation across the globe is increasing due to the rising e-commerce grocery deliveries and growing awareness among farmers and harvesters about the benefits of cold chain logistics. The growing demand for online grocery shopping has driven the market for multi-temperature refrigerated trucks and trailers. Manufacturers are increasingly integrating refrigerated trucks and trailers with multi-temperature systems to increase the operational efficiency of the delivery process and offer high-quality products. Also, the growing demand for frozen foods has propelled suppliers to equip their refrigerated units with thermal liners, computer controls, and multi-temperature systems to keep the food at the adequate temperature during transportation. One of the latest developments in the market is the rapid move towards sustainable refrigeration units to reduce environmental impact and carbon footprint refrigeration, which will be another major growth driver for the overall market in the coming years.
Owing to the growing equipment failure, the manufacturers have started installing temperature monitoring systems in the refrigerated units. Such systems enable monitoring through a fleet management software or intelligent alarm units and send messages to the drivers in case of any equipment failure. They also minimize the response time to refrigeration equipment failures by almost 70%, as the problem is immediately fixed or the goods are transferred to another truck, subsequently saving the goods from spoilage. Also, the supplier also equipping their trucks with GPS tracking systems to stay on schedule for deliveries.
The global refrigerated transportation market is marked by the presence of several companies at both the domestic and global levels. Some of the major vendors operating in this market are Carrier Transicold, GAH Refrigeration, Culina, and Swift Transportation. The local players have intensified the competitive scenario in the market by offering products at affordable prices and rapid innovative solutions for packaging. With all the major food and beverage companies relying on refrigerated transportation for extended shelf life and freshness of products, there is huge growth potential for the market vendors to come up with advanced technologies and services.
Other prominent vendors in the refrigerated road transportation market include Bay & Bay Transportation, DB Schenker, CRST International, Frost Trucking, Great Dane, Hanson Logistics, MCT Transportation, Randon Implementos, Schmitz Cargobull, WEL Companies, West Coast Carriers, and Witte Bros. Exchange.
The market for refrigerated vans will witness steady growth during the forecast period owing to the rapidly growing grocery businesses. Refrigerated vans are used for short distance and local deliveries such as fresh and high-quality fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meat and fish products. Vendors are integrating refrigerated vans with advanced technologies like computer control systems, which monitor and maintain the required temperatures. They are offering flexible storage and different sizes of trucks based on the requirement of the products and meeting the demands of the grocery businesses.
APAC will be the fastest-growing region in the global market over the forecast period and is anticipated to account for the largest market share. Much of the region’s growth is due to the high consumption of fresh foods and frozen products. The surging requirement for cold chain logistics to minimize the post-harvest damages will be a major contributing factor driving growth in the refrigerated transport market. Moreover, the rising demand for fresh vegetables and fruits will necessitate better storage and transportation facilities, further leading to the growth of the refrigerated road transportation market.