Martin Brower is a global supply chain provider for restaurant chains. The new trailers will operate out of the company’s Hemel Hempstead distribution centre and will be on the road seven days per week, clocking up around 87,500 miles per year.
The new 13.6-metre Gray & Adams trailers are supplied on contract hire by Centurion Truck Rental. The Vector eCool units are paired with the engineless version of the Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19, a combination that is said to reduce fuel costs.
Kevin Svenkeson, managing director, UK & Ireland at Martin Brower, said: “Our goal is to deliver innovative and meaningful solutions that help restaurants and our business create a more globally sustainable, ethical, and responsible future. Partnering with Carrier Transicold to integrate its all-electric Vector eCool units into our fleet is an essential step towards further reducing our carbon emissions and limiting our environmental impact.”
The Vector eCool unit combines Carrier Transicold’s E-Drive all-electric technology with a new energy recovery and storage system. This converts kinetic energy generated by the trailer axle and brakes into electric power, which is stored in a battery pack that powers the refrigeration unit – a loop that creates an autonomous system, producing no direct carbon dioxide (CO2) or particulate emissions.
The Vector eCool is also PIEK-compliant, which combined with its emissions performance, means that the system offers a solution to tightening inner city and urban regulations. The trailers can also be plugged into the electrical grid when parked and fully charged in two hours using a standard five pin, three-phase standby plug.
Martin Brower’s new units are all backed by Carrier Transicold’s BluEdge fixed cost full-service maintenance package, which includes annual temperature control testing and certification, full regulatory checks and access to the company’s OneCall 24/7 incident management service.
Scott Dargan, managing director, UK & Northern Europe at Carrier Transicold, said: “Since its UK launch in 2020, the Vector eCool system has proven an attractive offering for fleets eager to futureproof their operations against tightening legislation, and we are excited that Martin Brower has added its name to that list. The Vector eCool is also the perfect match for Martin Brower’s urban delivery requirements right now, providing instant sustainability benefits for its London-based operations.”