Have a temporary need to keep perishables cold? There are two popular options that can help — refrigerated truck and walk in cooler/freezer rentals.
Walk in cooler or freezer rentals are easily delivered by truck and placed in a convenient location where it can be connected to your electrical system.
Refrigerated trailers, also known as reefer trailers, require delivery by semi and locations are limited to street or parking lot locations. They typically have an attached diesel generator that powers the unit to keep it cold.
Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the best solution is the one that fits the needs of your specific application.
Pros and cons of walk in cooler and freezer rentals
Walk in coolers and freezers are at ground level for easy access, giving them the feeling and stability of permanent installations without any rocking or associated fall risk. Their doors open easily, and they operate similarly to built-in units, quietly cooling without the noise and odor associated with diesel engines. Operating on electricity also allows walk in cooler or freezer rentals to be less expensive to operate, keeping operation immune to fluctuating gas prices and eliminating the risk of running out of fuel. The only situation where a walk in cooler or freezer rental would not be an excellent choice would be in remote locations without electricity.
Benefits and drawbacks of renting a refrigerated trailer
Refrigerated trailers are easy to rent and widely available. But because they require delivery by semi, it may be challenging to schedule an available Class A CDL driver to bring one to your location within a reasonable timeframe.
Semis are large vehicles that require more room to maneuver and park, which can limit your options for trailer placement. Parking on the street may also subject the unit to limits on the length of time they can occupy a space without penalty.
Refrigerated trailers are elevated, requiring your staff to climb ramps that increase fall risk and open heavy double doors whenever they need access. And although its diesel generator allows a reefer trailer to operate in remote locations without electricity, It also requires monitoring and frequent fill-ups to avoid losing power.
Real-world applications for commercial refrigeration rentals
There are many reasons why businesses need temporary cold storage. Some common applications include:
- Peak seasons. Seasonal demand affects industries such as restaurants, grocery stores, catering companies, and farmers, who have significantly more refrigerated or frozen inventory for a few months of the year. Being able to store this excess outside of the building in a refrigerated trailer or walk in commercial refrigeration rental frees up prime interior space for operations.
- Events. Special events such as weddings or corporate functions require large amounts of cold food and beverages to be kept close at hand.
- Emergency use. Planned maintenance or failure of an operation’s walk in refrigerator or freezer requires a temporary solution to protect the safety and useability of the items stored inside. These perishables are typically valued at thousands of dollars.
- Pharma R&D. Pharmaceutical companies typically need large amounts of cold storage for research and development.
Reefer trailer vs. walk in cooler/freezer rentals: accessibility & convenience
Walk in cooler and freezer rentals have the edge when it comes to accessibility and convenience.
Reefer trailers are pulled behind semis and limited to street or parking lot placement. Because they’re elevated, workers have to open heavy double doors and climb ramps that increase fall risk every time they need to enter or exit.
There’s no climbing with a walk in cooler or freezer rental. Your unit will be conveniently located at ground level with the same easy-to-open doors that you’d find on a standard walk-in. And because it’s delivered by a truck — not a semi — it can be placed on virtually any surface, without being limited to parking lots or roads.
How reefer refrigerated trailers and walk in refrigerator rentals affect the environment
When it comes to the environment, we need to look at how power is generated for both units.
Refrigerated trailers run on diesel generators, which are great for providing power in remote locations, but hard on the environment. The loud motors also increase noise pollution and give off fumes.
Not only are diesel generators tied to global warming, but their emissions also include heavy particulate matter that stays in the immediate environment, negatively impacting the health and safety of nearby guests and workers.
Because walk in coolers and freezer rentals operate on electricity, they operate quietly and more efficiently without any fumes.
Customization and scalability of refrigerated trailers and walk in refrigerator or freezer rentals
Both refrigerated trailers and walk in cooler/freezer rentals are available in different sizes to fit your needs. You can either choose a larger unit based on your requirements or add or subtract units for a more modular solution if you anticipate your needs changing.
Choosing between commercial refrigeration rentals
Refrigerated trailers have different advantages and disadvantages than walk in cooler and freezer rentals. Walk ins have the advantage for energy efficiency, convenient placement, safe entry/exit at ground level, stability, and environmental considerations, including quiet and fumeless operation.
Refrigerated trailers may be the only choice for operating in remote locations where there is no electricity available.
Polar Leasing is ready to deploy
Need a walk in cooler or freezer rental fast? Polar Leasing’s got you covered. Our strategic distribution points for our nationwide rental fleet allow us to dispatch walk ins on trucks to a wide range of locations quickly.
Our premium rentals have top-of-the-line polyisocyanurate rigid board insulation covered by a continuous, crevice-free fiberglass surface inside and out. These ground-level walk ins have a light and bright interior, making it easier for your staff to stay safe and find what they’re looking for quickly and easily.
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