

Catering supplier apetito has purchased 10 Gray & Adams double-deck temperature-controlled trailers with Carrier Transicold fridges.
The Wiltshire-based company opted for Vector HE 19 units, having trialled one alongside a Renault T480 tractor fitted with Carrier Transicold’s Eco-Drive power module.
“From the moment the combination went into operation, it was clear that Carrier’s flagship technology holds huge potential to help significantly reduce our carbon emissions and fuel expenditure,” said Daniel Paull, distribution operations manager at apetito. “The combination of the Vector unit on the trailer with the ability to power it through the Eco-Drive has provided noticeable savings on both fronts, while the fridge unit’s quiet operating noise is also a welcome bonus. The new trailers will be an ideal next step, and we hope they’ll be joined by more Eco-Drives on our trucks in the future.”
Eco-Drive uses a hydraulic pump connected to the truck engine’s PTO, which drives a generator that delivers the electrical power required to run the Vector HE 19 unit. The power is delivered independent of the truck’s engine speed, so even when the vehicle is idling, 100% refrigeration capacity is ensured.
The combination of the Vector HE 19 mono-temperature units and Carrier Transicold’s E-Drive with a new multi-speed engine design, is said to deliver up to 30% fuel savings when compared with the previous generation Vector 1950. Additionally, capacity during pull-down has been increased by 40%, and there’s a 50% reduction in refrigerant escape. The trailers can also be plugged into the electrical grid on standby, making them 19% more efficient.
Carrier Transicold UK account manager Tony Biggs commented: “More of our customers are putting sustainability at the top of their agenda, and apetito is no exception.
“Combining the Vector HE 19 with our Eco-Drive technology is the ideal next step on apetito’s decarbonization journey; its aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 also ties with Carrier’s goal of helping customers reduce their carbon footprint by more than one gigaton by 2030.”