Latest Business Vans News: The way to have a refrigerated van part time.

Oct. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- Refrigerated vans are vital for many types of small business. But as someone with a small business, there isn't the option of a large fleet of vans – where some are refrigerated and some not. Vans in small businesses need to multi-task. On top of that, a refrigerated van is pricier to acquire and run than an equivalent conventionally equipped van. So does one really need to have a refrigerated van full-time on their books, one might ask.

If they answer’s yes, they’ll know instantly. However for those who are keen to expand the business into a new area that requires a refrigerated van but want to see how it goes before shelling out for one full-time. Or perhaps for those that can schedule all their refrigerated runs into tightly defined timeframes – say a few hours once or twice a week or one or two days per week, there's a solution.

In either case, renting a refrigerated van can prove a cost-effective option – especially if they cut a deal with the hire firm. Many hire firms are prepared to do special rates to get a guaranteed turnover from a new, regular, long-term customer.

They can rent a refrigerated van by the month, week, day or even hour. For some businesses, this as-needed approach makes good sense; for others, it won’t. They should keep an open mind, do the sums and see if it’s cheaper – and more convenient – to rent instead of acquiring and running one full-time.

If one needs a refrigerated van for just a few months a year – say, for taking their food business round the festival circuit – but not the whole year, a longer-term rental is almost certainly the way to go. The rental payments will give them a fixed cost to budget their business plan around and they’ll have none of the hassle or unpredictable costs of maintenance throughout the rest of the year. Rental periods of up to three months are commonly offered by reputable hire firms,

There is another option if they need their van to carry refrigerated goods sometimes, but not others – or if they need to share refrigerated cargo duties between different vans. It’s a refrigerated box.

A refrigerated box is a self-contained insulated unit that includes the compressor and condenser within the box itself. Refrigerated boxes range typically from about 22 litres to 330 litres. They’re simple to install and easy to move between vans. They can be run off a 12v or 24v supply, as well as a 100v or 240v source. Most of these units will chill to -24deg C and can be equipped to heat up to 40deg C.

They make a good choice for transporting smaller items, such as pharmaceuticals, medical samples and food products. In addition, it means they can carry mixed cargo – some refrigerated, some not. For those who need a van to multi-task or are testing out a new market for their business, it’s a very cool way to do it.

So if their van refrigeration requirements are occasional, or they want to try out a new idea, their business van finances won't be strained by jumping in with both feet. They can try these ideas first.

For more information, visit Business Vans at http://www.businessvans.co.uk/