Refrigerated trailer haulage for live plants

What a refrigerated trailer is

A refrigerated trailer is a closed, insulated trailer with its own refrigeration unit, pulled by a tractor unit. The walls, floor, roof and doors are built as panels with insulation inside, so very little outside heat gets in. At the front of the body sits the refrigeration unit, which runs on its own engine and does not depend on the lorry’s engine running.

At Transcosur the refrigerated trailer is what we use for live plant transport, within Spain and internationally, with the body set to the temperature each plant needs.

How a refrigerated trailer works

In general, it works simply:

1. A set point is entered on the thermostat: the temperature the load must travel at.
2. The refrigeration unit draws in air from inside, cools it or, if needed, warms it, and returns it to the body.
3. The air circulates over and around the load, usually from the front towards the doors and back along the floor.
4. The unit regulates itself, cutting in and out to hold the set point whether it is hot or cold outside.

For this to work the load has to let the air through. If it is packed against the roof or walls, the cold does not reach everywhere and some areas end up warmer than others. That is also why the doors should not be opened more than necessary at stops: each opening lets outside air in and the unit takes a while to get back to the set point.

Refrigerated or insulated

The two are sometimes confused. An insulated trailer is just an insulated box: it keeps the goods at their loading temperature for a while, but does not correct it. A refrigerated trailer also has a refrigeration unit, which maintains the temperature for the whole journey, however long.

Feature	Refrigerated	Insulated
Insulated body	Yes	Yes
Refrigeration unit	Yes, with its own engine	No
Temperature	Maintained throughout the journey	Only held for a while
Long journeys	Suitable	Limited

Why live plants travel in a refrigerated trailer

A live plant keeps breathing during the journey. If it gets too warm, it becomes stressed, drops leaves or flowers and arrives in poor condition; if it gets colder than it can tolerate, it is damaged just the same. And not all plants tolerate the same conditions: a houseplant is not the same as a bare-root fruit tree or a bedding plant in flower.

So the temperature is not set out of habit but according to the plant being loaded, and it is agreed with the customer before each journey. A refrigerated trailer also means travelling overnight or in high summer without the load depending on the weather outside.

How it is loaded

Nursery plants usually travel on multi-shelf trolleys or on pallets, and large plants loose and well chocked. Either way, the load leaves gaps for air to circulate, without crushing the leaves, and trolleys are secured so they do not move. Normally the body is brought down to temperature before loading, so the plants do not go into a warm space.

Which services we use it for

• Live plant transport, within Spain and abroad.

What we need to know to send you a refrigerated trailer

• Which plants and what temperature they need, if you know.
• How they are prepared: on trolleys, on pallets or loose, and how many units.
• Origin, destination and dates, and whether there are several stops.
• Loading and delivery times at the nursery or at destination.

With those details we confirm the journey and send you a price. If your load does not need temperature control, see the rest of our fleet.