In this post, you will learn everything you need to know about refrigerator truck rental including the uses, types on the market, and the costs of renting a refrigeration truck.

Why Refrigerated Rental?

A refrigerator truck is a new or used trucks cargo with a body designed to carry perishable goods at low temperatures.

A refrigerated lorry must have a refrigeration unit to keep working continuously and protect temperature sensitive cargo.

Trucks that have a refrigeration system in place are regarded as vehicles or fridge / freezer cargo vans.

The very first fridge trucks were designed for the ice cream industry.

Nowadays, many produce including fresh fish and meats are transported in rented freezer.

Popular refrigerated straight truck business include the PENSKE business services, the RYDER ice truck, Budget trailer, Hertz truck rental and U-HAUL companies!

And during road trip, there are emergency roadside assistance services with qualified tech and handyman across United States to avoid chilled items been delayed or destroyed.

As well as Canada, there are 100s of truck rental, including van rental in Los Angeles, Illinois, Phoenix-Arizona, Chicago, San Diego, Fort Worth, Dallas, Denver, Boston refrigerated truck rentals.

How Much Does A Refrigerated Truck Cost to Hire?

Used refrigerated truck models go for between $10,000 and $35,000.

New ones are more expensive because it comes with a refrigerator for keeping products cooler than the outdoor temperatures.

Therefore, on top of being used for transport, a deep-freeze truck does the job of keeping things cool.

However, before you think you cannot afford to rent refrigerated truck, check out the costs of different types of trucks below…

• 16-foot truck rental

The 16-foot long trucks cost about $160 daily to rent. The weekly truck rental fee is approximately $680.

Most companies renting trucks box normally charge an additional fee per mile (about $0.2) plus diesel plus $1.2 per reefer meter hour.

• 20 foot

These trucks cost about $180 a day or $750 a week to rent. In addition to the rate, they usually attract a per-mile charge, a reefer meter charge, and a fuel (diesel) charge.

The extra fees usually increase the fee by about $100 for intra-city rentals.

• 26 foot

The 26-foot long trucks are probably the most popular big-size trucks widely available for rent.

They cost about $200 a day and $850 a week to rent. They are perfect for transporting frozen or chilled food products over long distances.

• tow trailers

Refrigerated tow trailers are widely available across the country in two sizes – the 12-foot long size and the 16-foot long size.

Both truck rental cost about $190 a day to rent and about $800 a week to rent. They typically fit in regular parking stalls and come with locks and extension cords (for connecting to mains power).

How much does it cost to rent a refrigerated van?

It will cost you about $180 daily to rent a sizeable van. The weekly rate is about $750 per week.

In addition to the daily or weekly rate, most van companies usually charge an additional amount for every mile (about $0.4).

Therefore, always ask about the charge per mile when renting a van or any other vehicle.

How Does A Refrigerated Rental Work?

All chilly flatbed trucks have a refrigeration system.

The manufacturers that build trucks do so by first insulating the back compartment and making it a separate and air-tight compartment.

The insulation creates a separate self-contained atmosphere that is heat-tight.

Thus, by removing all heat remaining in the compartment using a refrigeration system, it can stay cold for a long time.

All refrigeration systems have three components – a condenser, a compressor, and an evaporator.

The condenser is basically a metal pipe filled a special liquid known as a coolant.

It absorbs heat very well. The systems work by circulating the fluid in the metal pipe leading to it absorbing all the heat in the freezer chamber.

This typically turns the coolant fluid into gas. This gas is then transported to the condenser where it is condensed (compressed under pressure) and transported into the evaporator.

The evaporator transports atmospheric area through the coolant resulting in the expulsion of all the heat it carries.

The expulsion of the heat causes cooling which turns the coolant back to gas. The coolant is then transported to the condenser to start the cycle again.

Each cycle of refrigeration causes the freezer or heat-tight compartment to become colder than before.

Major Functions of Refrigerator Trucks for Hire

They are frequently hired for four major uses, among to protect temperature sensitive shipment.

First, they are hired for the delivery of perishable fresh foods.

Probably 90% of the time individuals or companies hire freezer trucks, they do it to transport fresh food such as seafood, fish, chilled food, and vegetables.

Second, they are frequently hired for the transport of certain drugs. 

There are drugs like sedatives that can only be transported over long distances in low temperatures or they will go bad.

Third, they are frequently hired for the transportation of cold drinks during summer.

Lastly, freezer are sometimes hired for the transport of chemical products, pharmaceutical products, and biological products that require refrigeration during transport.

Now, read on to find out much more about ice trucks for hire below.

Types of Refrigeration Truck for Business

There are several types available on the market – with many extra features such as, single axle, tandem axle, rear axle, automatic transmission, increased power, fuel savings and lower emissions, air conditioning, power steering etc.

Therefore, when wanting to hire one for your new market site, you should know the types available and the exact type (and specs) you want to ensure what you end up getting is exactly what you need, the height truck, either new or used truck.

• Vans

Chilly vans aka cold van rentals, fridge van rentals, or reefer vans are small sized vehicles.

They are vans with deep-freeze bodies and are designed to transport small sized cargo – mid size cooler.

Some Freezer or chillers have size of 12 ft, 14 ft and 20 ft, and generally carry produce weighing 3 tons / 6,000 lb, 5 tons / 10,000 lb, 10 ton / 20,000 lb and up to 26 tons / 52,000 lb.

Most cold van are simply deep-freeze vans, and most companies have them for either short term hire or leasing.

• Trailer

Also refer to as reefer trucks or reefer trailers are large sized trucks up to 40 foot or more. They are literally big trucks with massive refrigerated trailers behind them.

In other words, a fridge / freezer lorry is simply a truck with a refrigerator.

They come in various sizes and capacities. The box trucks ranges from 20 ft, 24 ft, 26 foot, 28 foot, 30 ft and even 32 foot height truck and more.

Other options are rear tandem axles, single axle and front axle, running refrigeration unit while the rig mobile, loading or unloading!

They are great for transporting large size cargo such as fish, seafood, or meat between great distances.

They are also perfect for use by food companies as extra storage space.

Many event organizers frequently hire refrigerator trucks from box truck companies to hold food and drink supplies for events.

• Insulation Vans

Insulation vans are not really deep-freeze vans or trucks. They are simply vehicles that have an insulated body meant to keep commodities such as fruits from going bad by maintaining their temperature.

Essentially, what insulation vans do is they prevent heat from getting in.

The biggest difference between insulation vans and vans is the fact that insulation vans have no refrigeration units and are light duty.

Most insulation vans have thick polystyrene or Styrofoam insulation to prevent commodities from cooling off or heating up when they are properly sealed and locked.

Personal or commercial vans like Camper Vans, Sprinter Vans can be converted to 10 ton to 26 ton Insulation Vans.

• Chiller Conversion Vans

Chiller conversion vans are a special type of vans. They are special because they are both insulated and have refrigeration units installed.

They are meant to bring cool air in and keep the heat out. This makes them perfect for transporting smaller loads in low temperatures.

Many companies and individuals utilize chiller conversion vans to transport perishable products that do not need freezing temperatures for preservation e.g. flowers and certain meats.

• Semi Freezer Vans

Semi freezer vans are advanced vans. They have two things that set them apart when compared to normal vans.

First, they have thick insulated bodies. Their bodies have 7.5cm-thick insulation Styrofoam or similar material to keep the heat out. Second, they have powerful refrigeration units.

Unlike chiller conversion vans that are only powerful enough to chill products, semi-freezer vans are powerful enough to freeze items.

Many of them also have defrost technologies meaning that there is no need for users to purchase or hire defrost heaters.

• Full-Freezer Vans

Full freezer vans are more powerful than semi freezer vans. They are more powerful in terms of freezing.

In other words, each freezer van can keep items further below the freezing point compared to semi-freezer vans. They also have thicker bodies and heat blocking doors.

More common deep-freeze box vehicle models are, Isuzu, Mercedes sprinter, Ford transit etc designed with Reefer chillers and Chest freezer for regional and nationwide haulage.

Cost of Renting Refrigerated Trucks to Haul Perishable Goods in United States /Cities

The average daily cost of renting refrigerated trucks in a major city in United States is between $150 and $300, excluding extra cost such as, tractor, roadside assistance and insurance!

The price usually depends on the type of vehicle you want to rent and duration.

Generally, it should cost you approximately $200 daily to rent a 12 foot reefer van and approximately $250 to rent a 14 foot reefer van.

For a bigger unit such as a 16-foot reefer truck, average price is usually $300 daily to rent one.

Compared to daily  charges, weekly charges are typically cheaper and come with several advantages for free.

Many reputable companies offer very competitive rates, with good customer service. For example, according to many people, both PENSKE costs and RYDER costs are quite competitive.

Hertz truck and trailer rental are also competitive.

FAQ About Refrigeration Truck Rental

What is the cost of new or used?

How much does a refrigerated truck cost for used and new models will definitely throw us different prices. Used truck models go for between $10,000 and $35,000.

New ones are more expensive. Another factors that determine cost of a truck is the brand name it carries. 

The best quality trucks manufactured by companies such as Kenworth, Hino, International, GMC, Isuzu, and Freightliner are generally more expensive than those made by ordinary or unknown manufacturers.

What are refrigeration vehicle called?

Refrigeration trucks are also known as reefer trucks. This is because the slang word for deep-freeze automobile is reefer.

A typical reefer truck is made up of a semi-truck pulling a trailer. The trailer is normally insulated and airtight and kept cold by an active cooling system.

How does a refrigerated caravan work?

A van works exactly the same way the bigger truck works. It has an insulated cargo hold that is heat tight.

This cargo-hold is cooled using a refrigeration system made up of a condenser, a compressor, and an evaporator.

The refrigeration system in a freezer van is just the same as the one your refrigerator uses. The biggest difference is that it is much bigger in vans.

By making the heat-tight consignment hold to become colder and colder with each refrigeration cycle, your van will keep your stuff at the temperature you desire even when traveling over a long distance.

Why can’t vans go in the fridge?

If you load a van with commodities and then drive it into a fridge or cold room to keep them cold before you live, you will not succeed.

This is because the van will most likely be insulated making it difficult for the cold atmosphere in the fridge to cool the wares inside your van.

Are refrigerated vans insulated?

Yes, they are. Freezer vans are kind of like standard refrigerators.

The same way standard refrigerators have insulated walls to provide an air-tight and heat-tight environment, vans also have insulated walls to mainly prevent exterior heat from getting in.

This is key to refrigeration because without insulated walls, most refrigeration systems will struggle to lower the temperature inside any van.

How much does it cost to rent a Home Depot truck for a day?

To rent a regular Home Depot box truck, you will pay a base rate of $29 for the first 75 minutes (one hour fifteen minutes).

For every extra 15 minutes, you will need to pay $5. The company will deduct the due amount from your deposit. The deposit is $150. The capacity of the truck is 515 cubic feet in volume and has a maximum load capacity of 3,850 pounds.

Is Budget cheaper than U-Haul for all customers?

In some instances, this is true. However, most customers do not know that the average cost per mile for U-Haul is often cheaper than the average cost per mile for Budget.

This certainly means that U-Haul is generally cheaper than Budget. However, as mentioned above, this is not the case in some locations.

Is Penske cheaper than Budget?

No, it is not. Penske is not cheaper than Budget. In fact, it is more expensive especially when it comes to long moves.

However, unlike other trucking companies, Penske does not have additional mileage charges for one-way moves. 

Moreover, it does not have hidden charges like many truck firms. Therefore, while Penske is more expensive than Budget, it does have its advantages.

Does Enterprise rent one way reefer?

Yes, it does. The Enterprise company allows one way truck rentals. You can rent pickup trucks and other types of vehicles one way.

What this means is that you can rent a truck from one Enterprise location and leave it at another location. However, please note that not all locations or vehicles are eligible for one-way use.

What kind of truck does Hertz Rent?

Hertz rents various types of vans and trucks for convenient transportation. In most Hertz locations across the United States, one of the most popular trucks you will find is the Ram 1500.

This has a maximum load capacity of 1,700 pounds. It also has extended crew cab. It is available as a two-wheel drive and as a four-wheel drive. This information shows that it is a beast that can transport truly heavy wares.

Refrigerator Box Truck Rental – Summary

There are many types of vans and truck – ranging from light duty, medium and heavy duty trailers.

Many people hire the different types of vans and trucks for transporting food, medicine, drinks, and certain products.

In terms of truck rental costs, you need to be prepared to pay anything between $150 and $300 a day to rent a refrigerated van or truck. Plus deal with refrigerated trucks service that offers roadside assistance to mitigate delays.