“We ordered the new units with a factory-fitted PTO (power take off) so the Ecogen system could be put to work straight away,” says managing director George McLaughlan. “We are the first in Scotland to benefit from Hultsteins’ onboard generators and with the use of gas oil for diesel-powered refrigeration units stopping on 1st April, the price of fuel is going to rocket. Plus, with carbon emissions now high on the environmental list of concerns, it seems like the best thing to do.”
He continues: “The system generates a constant 400-Volt, three-phase electrical power to the same standard as the mains supply, which transforms the existing diesel TRU into a hybrid solution that can run any marque of diesel fridge and fit to any tractor with a PTO.”
Specialising in temperature-controlled haulage, McLaughlan Transport also moves a significant number of ISO containers from ‘farm to dock’, containing temperature-sensitive cargo. Added the MD: “This is where the Ecogen system will really benefit our customers. Normally, the fridge systems on these ISO containers require an electric plug-in, and of course when they are on the road, unless the trailer has an on-board genset, the load will not remain temperature controlled. With Ecogen however, Hultsteins have provided a special converter so the Suzie can simply plug straight in and keep driving the fridge. Currently, we are the only transporter who can provide this facility.”
Hultsteins’ support partner in Scotland, Glasgow-based refrigeration service provider Transcool Scotland Ltd, fitted the Ecogen system and from its 5,000 sq. ft., fully-equipped workshops that will provide ongoing service for McLaughlan and all other operators of Hultsteins equipment in Scotland and the border regions of England.
