Focused on offering customers maximum fuel efficiency and competitive whole life costs, Axis Fleet Management has specified its first Vector™1550 units from Carrier Transicold UK. Carrier Transicold helps improve global transport and shipping temperature control with a complete line of equipment for refrigerated trucks, trailers and containers, and is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

The latest order from the Oxfordshire-based contract hire and leasing company, which operates more than 2,000 road assets, includes 90 Vector 1550 units and 40 Vector 1850 mono-temperature units fitted to a mix of Montracon and Krone semi-trailers. Although these are the first Vector 1550 units purchased by Axis Fleet Management, the order for further Vector 1850 units follows the successful performance of identical temperature-controlled systems currently in its operation.

“Fuel is such an important cost driver in running transport businesses today,” said David Potter, managing director, Axis Fleet Management Ltd. “Unlike many other players in the contract hire and leasing sector who believe that fuel efficiency is an issue for their customers to manage, we believe it is part of our remit to deliver the most fuel-efficient solution from the outset./more 

“Vector 1850 units have proved resilient and reliable and we are keen to see the Vector 1550 unit in operation. We have heard countless good reports about the benefits the unit offers in terms of optimised fuel efficiency, lighter weight and reduced sound levels, and we look forward to passing on these benefits to our customers,” he added.

All 130 new units have been specified with Carrier Transicold DataCOLD 500 temperature recorders, allowing Axis Fleet Management customers access to set-point recording or modifications, defrost information and the ability to be instantly alerted to temperature and refrigeration alarm notifications. The user-friendly units, mounted externally on every new trailer, store a minimum of one year’s worth of temperature data.

The Vector 1550 unit builds on the success of the Vector 1850 system to combine a reduced capacity of 14,800 Watts with low fuel consumption – making it perfectly suited to mono temperature operations – and helps to reduce the total cost of ownership for customers whilst also cutting overall carbon impact by up to 35 per cent compared to conventional systems. This equates to removing 2.8 tonnes of CO2per unit per year. It is also one of the lightest trailer refrigeration units on the market (739 kg) and operates with low noise emissions of 69.6 dB(A).

“In addition to providing a broad product range that is price-competitive, Carrier is also responsive to the specific needs of our customers in terms of training and product knowledge advancement,” added Potter. “It is with this kind of support from a supplier that we are able to differentiate ourselves from the competition.”

The new trailers are expected to remain on the fleet for up to six years and join Axis Fleet Management’s wider asset pool of 450 6x2 tractor units, 50 rigid vehicles, 400 skeletal trailers, 50 double-deck trailers, 400 curtainsiders, 300 box van trailers and 250 existing refrigerated trailers.