It is true that the United States is home to a massive manufacturing industry, but these factories and warehouses need a way to transport goods all over the place. This is where the truck carrier industry can help, and every day, countless semi trucks are delivering raw materials and finished goods across the nation. Trucks are also integral for land-based trade with Canada along the U.S.-Canadian border. Most often, truck carrier companies are on the small side, and each one has a small but hardworking fleet of trucks ready to make deliveries.
Some trucks are more specialized than others, and some are general-purpose. When it comes to cold items, an ordinary truck trailer may get too warm, but refrigeration units, or carrier reefers, can help. What is a reefer trailer? It is any truck trailer with cooler units inside to keep the internal temperature low, and brand name trailers such as used Thermo King units or others may be used for the job. A new reefer trailer may be more expensive than used trailer refrigeration units for sale, but they will be in excellent condition and come with a factory warranty. What should a truck company owner look for when searching for used trailer refrigeration units for sale?
On Reefer Trailers
Many reefer trailers are being used across the United States today, and the numbers show that this strong sector is continuing to grow. At any time, over 500,000 reefer trailers are in operation, and more are being ordered every year. Worldwide, the reefer trailer market is large and may grow further, at a CAGR of 4.8% until the year 2022 or so. And by that year, that market’s total value may be close to %7.6 billion or so.
A typical reefer trailer, including used trailer refrigeration units for sale, is one that has one or more air cooler unit built into it to circulate cold air inside and keep the temperature low. The temperature inside may vary from a high of 70 degrees Fahrenheit down to -20 degrees, and the trailer’s walls are insulated to help keep that cold inside. The smallest reefer trailers are about 28 feet long, and the largest may be an impressive 53 feet long, with the tallest being 13 and a half feet tall and weighing up to 44,000 pounds. Most often, these trucks will drive to and from retailer and warehouse that have their own cooler units inside, so that the items are never exposed to warm air. A warehouse may have large fridge units inside to store goods like dairy, meats, and frozen meals, and these items are loaded into a reefer truck and driven to a grocery store. There, at the dock, staff members will unload those cold items and place them in fridge and freezer units inside the building. Other items such as pasta and canned goods may be delivered in conventional trailer units instead, since they aren’t temperature sensitive.
Finding Used Trailer Refrigeration Units For Sale
Meanwhile, how can a truck carrier company owner find the right used trailer refrigeration units for sale? A wholesale buyer may choose to buy a reefer so that they can expand their delivery options to grocery stores and other shipper clients who deal with cold items, and that can help a carrier company grow. Used reefer trailers may be a good bargain if they are only gently used, and they may be at a steeply discounted price compared to new ones. A buyer may want to look over these used trailer refrigeration units for sale in person before making a purchase, to ensure that the trailer is in good condition.
To afford a purchase like this, a buyer may take out truck loans. Big banks may be reluctant to work with truck companies, but specialized business lenders can help out instead. A borrower with a good business credit score and personal credit score may get a generous loan based on the value of a current truck they own, with the truck itself serving as collateral. If the truck and business credit scores are in good shape, the borrower may get up to 100% of the truck’s value in a loan at a low interest rate. Even borrowers with iffy credit scores may still get a loan.