Fuel economy – cutting the cost of running refrigeration equipment

There has never been a more important time to maximize fuel efficiency in order to maintain profit levels for your business.

Compared to the vehicle itself, diesel refrigeration equipment today is not known as a big consumer of fuel. Yet over time, these fuel costs add up and can eat into your overall profitability.

For example, a trailer refrigeration unit running 2,000 hours per year over a 7-year lifespan can consume over 35,000 liters (7.700 gallons) of fuel. A 10% reduction in fuel usage will thus make a significant difference to your overall operating costs.

Of course, the question is: what will reduce fuel consumption? There is no single definite answer, but we’ve provided a wide range of suggestions to improve fuel economy below.

Are you choosing the right equipment?

Starting with your choice of refrigeration equipment, our suggestion is to focus on the following areas:

• Match the equipment to the exact application it’s going to be used for. The overall specification may need to accommodate multiple client requirements, but keep in mind that both under- and over-specified equipment can lead to fuel waste.
• Select a proven, fuel-efficient refrigeration unit. With so much choice on the market, ask your dealer for their recommendation on what technology (aligned to expected usage) will deliver maximum energy from the fuel burned. Reach out to your local Thermo King dealer and ask them to use our fuel economy calculator to determine how much fuel you could be saving by upgrading your unit.
• Prioritize an insulated box with a low K-value. This relates to a material’s ability to conduct heat: the lower the value, the less heat is lost, and the less fuel is needed to maintain temperature stability.
• Choose equipment that is light-colored. Sounds simple, but a white/metallic body color is proven to have a distinct advantage in terms of minimizing heat gain over a more colorful alternative.

Have you considered the correct loading?

Loading is another area that has a direct impact on fleet fuel efficiency. Recommendations here relate as much to good load practices as to efficient fuel consumption, but ultimately it comes down to reducing the ‘workload’ placed on the refrigeration system:

• Maximize air circulation, minimize resistance – load vehicles in a way that helps avoid blocking the airflow around the cargo, and use maximum load height lines to guide operators
• Minimize the heat load on all units – by loading all goods in a fully pre-cooled condition that is catered to the required set-point (or if appropriate, below it)
• Retain cold air in the load space – by reducing the frequency and duration of door openings and striving to keep ambient air out, the unit needs to expend less energy maintaining temperature

Are you mastering operational efficiency?

All of which brings us to the operational day-to-day, and the best practice recommendations on how you can avoid wasting fuel ‘out in the field’. Again, these are tips designed to help keep the temperature of any vehicle stable and the refrigeration controls running smoothly:

• Implement door curtains whenever possible – these help retain cold air in the load space, and keep ambient air out
• Rely on door switches to automatically turn the unit off when doors are open –vitally important for avoiding any unnecessary unit operation
• Use a temperature-controlled & sealed loading dock – this helps minimize any heat gain of products being moved to and from the vehicle
• Choose the appropriate unit operating mode and set-point – stop/start for frozen, temperature modulation for fresh, etc., to optimize unit efficiency

Are you taking care when off-road?

The last factor relates to how you treat and maintain your temperature control equipment when not in use, to keep it in prime condition:

• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for servicing – and check a unit’s efficiency and a box’s K-value regularly
• Repair body damage as soon as possible – and ensure body door seals (a common source of heat gain) are prioritized during regular maintenance
• Consider where you’re leaving vehicles not in use – and where possible, park them out of direct sunlight to minimize  heat gain
• Maximize vehicle utilization –  avoid partial loads that lead to unnecessary unit operation
• Provide thorough driver training in eco driving – and ensure this complies with established Standard Operating Procedures inside your company

Maximize the opportunity

The above recommendations help highlight a number of best practices that, if followed, can both directly and indirectly impact fuel economy. By adopting them, you can be confident you’re doing everything possible to deliver measurable cost savings.