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Your Road to Food Truck Success with Refrigerated Trailers

Published5/16/2023
Refrigerated Trailer
Your Road to Food Truck Success with Refrigerated Trailers

Food trucks are a growing trend, offering a unique dining experience. But the success of food trucks relies on the ability to store perishable foods. Refrigerated trailers transform mobile kitchens by providing on-site storage for fresh products, reducing storefronts trips, and stopping ingredient shortages. You'll keep food fresh and boost profits, brand profile, and customer trust.

In this blog, Triton Refrigeration discusses how reefer trailers help food truck owners boost profits by keeping food fresh, using brand opportunities, and improving customer trust. Let's get started!

Why Refrigerated Trailers Are Important

Refrigerated trailers preserve the safety and quality of foods during storage and transportation. Reefer trailers use refrigeration to maintain precise temperature ranges. Properly used, these trailers prevent food spoilage and reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses.

Picture this: It's a hot day, and your food truck is at a festival. You've prepped your dishes and are ready to serve your customers. As the crowds arrive, your refrigeration struggles to keep up. You worry about ingredient safety and quality. Due to the heat, you need multiple trips to your storefront, cutting profits and losing time. 

A Triton reefer trailer shines in this scenario - it keeps food fresh and safe, no matter the demand. You can focus on serving food without the stress of spoilage, lost patrons, or reputation. And you have the option to rent or buy. And, we make financing available.

How do Reefer Trailers Work?

Insulation: Reefer trailers have insulation on the front and sides of the trailer. The walls consist of plastic, steel, or non-porous material. The insulation prevents heat from entering, which helps preserve the target-temperature.

Roof: Reefer trailers may also have a tear-resistant translucent roof layer. The top of the reefer has the potential to reflect heat and UV waves. All of that planning and construction allows you to maintain a constant temperature for your food supplies. We’ve found this of particular importance in the northeast, including regions around Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. We know there are much hotter parts of the country. But the temperature swings can be dramatic here.

Alarms and Tracking Systems: Triton trailers include alert of failures or set point issues. Some units even have systems that track time and temperature for auditing. 

Primary Components 

Reefer trailers have three primary components: compressor, condenser, and evaporator. 

  • Compressor: A small engine that drives the compressor unit. It draws in refrigeration and compresses it. The pressure condenses gas and liquid refrigerant, releasing heat to the compressor body.
  • Condenser: Liquid from the compressor flows into the condenser, exchanging heat. The fluid's heat moves to the tubing walls and then transfers to the attached fins with a larger surface area to cool outside air. The condenser fan draws in the air.
  • Evaporator: The reefer trailer's evaporator is where the cooling happens. The refrigerant releases heat to the condenser and transforms it into a cool liquid. A metering valve controls cooling by releasing heat into the evaporator. In the evaporator, the refrigerant turns into a gas, expands, and absorbs heat from surrounding coils. Air moves over the fins to circulate the refrigerant and remove heat, cooling the trailer. The process continues until reaching the preferred temperature.

Benefits of Refrigerated Trailers for Food Trucks

By investing in a refrigerated trailer, food truck owners can: 

  • Build Trust: Cold trailers guarantee the quality of food, a top concern for customers.
  • Expand Menus: Store different goods for a broader range of food options.
  • Improve Efficiency: Stocking up on reserves lessens the need for supply runs.
  • Boost Margins: Buy bulk and keep in a trailer to reduce food waste -- saving money and increasing profits.
  • Increase Flexibility: Visit new areas without worrying about access to refrigeration or storage.
  • Enhance Branding: Brand your trailer with your business name, logo, and eye-catching visuals. Turn it into a mobile billboard that attracts customers and reinforces your brand

Considerations When Choosing a Refrigerated Trailer

When selecting a cold trailer, food truck owners should consider factors such as: 

  • Size and weight constraints for your food truck and towing vehicle need remembering. Measure your vehicle's dimensions and the space available for a trailer before purchasing.
  • The desired temperature range is a factor to consider. Ensure refrigeration can maintain the temperature of the products you intend to store.
  • Decide on the type of refrigeration system -- mechanical (standard) or absorption-based. Mechanical systems circulate refrigerant gas through a compressor, which absorbs and removes heat. Propane or natural gas powers absorption-based units and create cooling using heat.
  • Extra features like shelving, lighting, and alarm systems are also important. Shelving helps index products, lighting assists with visibility, and monitoring systems track temperatures.
  • Regular maintenance keeps the trailer running efficiently. Factor these costs into your budget.
  • Noisy systems are problematic if you operate in quiet surroundings.
  • Is the trailer's refrigeration compatible with your power source? If you use a generator, ensure it can handle the extra load of the refrigeration system.
  • Regulations may limit refrigeration systems and trailer types based on location and products. 

Wasteful Habits: Storefront and Supply Trips

Restocking inventory takes time and resources, including employee wages and fuel costs. A reefer provides a convenient solution to store all your products on-site.

You can focus on serving customers and business growth by reducing storefront trips and supply runs. A refrigerated unit boosts efficiency and productivity. Allowing you to perfect recipes, create customer experiences, and market your business. All without the time, fuel, and labor costs associated with trips to your storefront.

Keep your food truck business fresh with a refrigerated trailer. It eliminates the need for storefront trips and keeps your products fresh. Plus, when branded, it acts as a mobile billboard for your business. 

Working as an internet-based platform work for some businesses. But a food truck relies on being a physically present entity. Invest in a reefer to keep your food fresh and your customers returning for seconds. A happy customer is a loyal one. 

With a Triton Refrigeration trailer, you can maximize your business by having everything you need at your fingertips. Contact us to learn how a refrigerated trailer can take your mobile eatery to another level.

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