FEATURE
Left: Valeo/ Transfrig Cryofridge: eco-friendly high
performance cooling solution.
Top: The insulated body should minimise the heat
leakage through the body.
areas and grows, and can contaminate
the product.
“Maintenance is definitely very
important when it comes to any
mechanical devices, however for cooling
units it becomes highly imperative,” says
Gröss. This is done for obvious reasons,
like when experiencing a mechanical
failure on a cooling unit the proverbial
clock is against you. You either have it
repaired immediately or find a suitable
nearby cold room to have the product
off-loaded and preserved.
When it comes to the refrigeration unit
itself, like any mechanical equipment,
regular service and maintenance
are key, says Solomon. Under most
circumstances, the fridge unit runs
longer hours than the truck. The units runs
overnight as well as at times during the
delivery cycle when the truck is off. “This
emphasises that the unit needs at least
the same attention as the truck when it
comes to service and daily checks.”
“Transport refrigeration technicians
require a high level of skill and it is
important to have qualified people
servicing the units,” says Solomon.
“Transport technicians not only need to
know the refrigeration system but also be
able to repair and service diesel engines
as well as be competent electricians.”
“Maintenance or rather proactive,
preventative maintenance is as
important as any effort to prevent
‘dropping’ loads or ensuring loads are
delivered on time,” agrees Heyman.
“Effective maintenance is an art form,
with the emphasis in not taking shortcuts
and doing the basics right.”
Without effective preventative
maintenance, unplanned downtime
creeps in, and with that, additional
costs embedded in ‘standby vehicles’
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
or additional sub-contracted work
(and cost) necessitated by the need
to meet customer commitments and
promises made.
Normally during breakdowns (caused
by lack of maintenance), the technicians
are placed under serious pressure to try
and repair or at least get the cooling
unit to run again, explains Gröss. “This
normally leads to shortcuts as well as
dangerous bypasses just to get the unit to
temporarily run again. This, in its entirety,
is not a bad thing, but where the issues
arise is the fact that no one goes back to
fix the ‘temporary fix’ and so the overall
health and wellbeing of the machine
diminishes over time and either starts a
chain reaction of problems or becomes
dangerous to operate.”
“Companies and organisations
who are able to manage an effective
maintenance regime also positively
affect the ability to plan operations
and ultimately improve the overall
quality of life of all employees involved,”
says Heyman.
“At the moment in South Africa, I would
say that maintenance is not being done
to its full potential,” says Gröss. This is
mainly due to the shrinking maintenance
budgets of companies to keep them on
the road, and not adhering to the proper
maintenance and service schedules. Lack
of training for technicians is also a major
contributing factor in not having the units
serviced correctly.
In South Africa, the extent to which
effective maintenance is being done
varies significantly, and often varies in
direct proportion to the size of the fleet
involved, which should come as no
surprise, says Heyman. However, it’s still a
rather common problem that workshops
and technical staff struggle to gain access
to vehicles due to the on-going pressure
to generate sales, preventing operations
from making vehicles available when due
for service.
On the upside, there are examples
of leading companies where the
need for preventative maintenance is
understood and valued at the highest
COLD LINK AFRICA • June 2019
level of management and supported
by experienced experts in the field of
maintenance. “These companies have
shown that is possible to implement a
robust maintenance regime and in turn
achieve superior vehicle reliability and
vehicle up-time, which sets them apart
from their competitors in the long run,”
says Heyman.
It’s not just essential to do maintenance,
but to also ensure it’s done right. “It is
important to use a reputable repairer to
insure the work is done to a high standard,”
advises Holcroft.
A WORD OF ADVICE
The stakeholders share some advice from
their experience on things to look out for
when purchasing a refrigerated truck
body, trailer, or refrigerated unit.
“Firstly, I would say the transporter
needs to know their product, their delivery
routes, as well as their delivery schedules,”
Gröss advises. This will all contribute to
which type of body and cooling unit he
will need. Most people just buy on face
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