The bespoke split-body design features a standalone refrigerated box section at the front, powered by a Carrier Transicold Supra 450 unit, and a curtainside rear for transporting ambient goods.
Built by Horton Commercials, the split-body design is mounted to a new Scania P-Series that will operate out of the company’s Bristol headquarters, delivering a range of sustainable wholefood products to customers across London, as well as making a weekly trip to a supplier in Devon.
“The refrigerated element of our business began to grow significantly three or four years ago, making a dedicated fridge section on our larger vehicles a necessity,” said Rob Baird, transport manager, Essential Trading Co-operative. “Carrier has been supplying that equipment from day one; their systems work well with the split bodies and provide the cooling capacity we need, allowing us to collect and deliver a much wider range of produce.”
The new Scania joins a mixed commercial vehicle fleet that includes five 7.5-tonne Isuzu rigids used exclusively for ambient deliveries, alongside two 11-tonne and one 13-tonne Isuzus, a 16-tonne DAF LF and a 26-tonne Volvo drawbar combination that all feature separate refrigerated sections cooled by Carrier Transicold equipment.
“We supply products to wholefood stores that place great emphasis on minimising waste and promoting a sustainable approach – it’s an ethos that we also try and maintain across our operation, which includes our commercial vehicle fleet. Carrier’s equipment is ideally suited to this, providing an efficient solution capable of handling intense delivery schedules,” said Baird.
Carrier Transicold’s versatile Supra 450 unit utilises the latest Stage V engine emissions technology to provide constant airflow and refrigeration protection, even when the truck’s own engine is switched off, making it the perfect choice for the vehicle’s multi-drop delivery routes in London.
The new vehicle replaces an older Scania rigid that relied on cooling plates when transporting chilled produce, proving far from ideal in the summer months or if the vehicle was delayed in traffic. The new vehicle is capable of transporting between 12 and 14 pallets of ambient produce, with space for around two pallets of chilled goods – a ratio ideally suited to Essential Trading’s requirements.
On the road four days a week – two being in London – the new vehicle is expected to clock between 40,000 and 50,000 miles a year and will stay in the company’s commercial vehicle fleet for five years.