The Risks of Buying a Used Refrigerated Van

30 June 2015
 Categories: , Blog


Small companies debate whether they should use a new refrigerated van from a company like Star Freightlines or a used one to cater for their refrigerated transport needs. Each option has its pros and cons. This article discusses some risks that you may face if you choose to buy a used refrigerated van.

Outdated Technology

One of the biggest risks that you are likely to face if you decide to buy a used refrigerated truck is that it may have outdated technology. For instance, modern refrigerated vans are equipped with onboard temperature sensors that allow remote monitoring. Such technology enables quality control personnel to keep an eye on the temperature of the goods being transported so that once it drops then the driver can be asked to turn back and pick another consignment for delivery to a client. Outdated vans may not have such technology so it may be very difficult for you to monitor the condition of the cargo being transported while you are not physically in the van.

Lack of Warranties

Another risk you face is that the refrigerated van may no longer be covered by its manufacturer's warranty since the covered period may have elapsed. Your costs of operating that used refrigerated van may be high since any defects that develop will not be covered by manufacturer warranty so you will spend a lot of money to keep the van running.

Poor Layout

Used refrigerated vans already have storage shelves for different kinds of cargo such as those that need to be frozen and those that should be chilled. Such pre-customization may not be what you would have wished for so the van will not serve your purposes in the exact way you wanted it to. For instance, you may wish to have some space to carry dry goods within that refrigerated van but that van may not have that space available. It will therefore be impossible to get optimal service from such a van, unless you take the added step of retrofitting the used van to your specifications.

Choosing which van to buy for your refrigerated transport needs should not be sorely dependent on price. Consider the features that are desired and compare them with those that are available in that van you are considering to buy. You may have to make some tradeoffs such as buying a van with fewer features due to budgetary limitations or spending more than you had budgeted in order to get the right refrigerated transport for your goods.


Share