See also: NACFE Run on Less targets the “messy environment” of trucking

NACFE Conclusions on the Status and Future of Reefer Operations

According to the NACFE report, barriers to expanding eTRU use in transportation include battery size, weight, operational challenges, training, upfront costs and (of course) infrastructure. However, its benefits include reduced operating and maintenance costs for fleets and reduced noise which can benefit drivers.

“Most TRUs today run on diesel,” according to Rob Graff, NACFE senior technical consultant and lead author of the study. “These are increasingly subject to regulations on their emissions, including those of GHGs. We have seen the development of low to zero emission TRU technologies to meet these requirements.

See also: Fleets Explained: Emissions Regulations

Graff and colleagues said the study yielded six high-level findings:

Population of refrigeration operations

Goods requiring transportation within a specified temperature range represent approximately 15% of straight trucks and trailers.

Refrigerated and frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, other groceries, and electronic devices are products that require refrigeration. Other goods, such as fresh produce and paints, require protection from freezing during the winter months. This is an important, but often overlooked, portion of North American freight that requires special straight trucks and trailers equipped with diesel-powered transport refrigeration units.

Regulations and expectations

According to the report, regulations and growing expectations for sustainability are converging to demand more sustainable solutions for moving refrigerated goods.

CARB has implemented regulations that require emissions-free refrigeration and freeze protection for moving goods. This can be difficult as today’s diesel eTRUs run on the diesel truck engine or with dedicated engines built into the TRUs. These have long operating times when vehicles are in motion or parked in warehouses or stores to be loaded or unloaded.

Availability of zero-emission TRUs

New zero-emission refrigeration units are being developed to run on electricity.

Many forms of eTRU are available or under development to meet regulations and shipper expectations. These include fully electric units, some with significant battery storage, systems that accept rechargeable shore power as a source, and hybrid units that run primarily on electricity but feature diesel or diesel powertrains. others to withstand long operating times.

Other refrigeration solutions

Other allied solutions are emerging to power or reproduce eTRUs.

These alternative solutions include increased insulation or the integration of cold plates into truck or trailer bodies, solar generators or electric axles (or e-axles) to provide more power to the batteries, as well as other solutions innovative.

See also: The main electric axles for commercial vehicles

Quality vs Reality

Moving and delivering refrigerated goods with zero or near-zero emissions while maintaining quality is a significant operational challenge.

Although independent of trucks’ electric propulsion units, these cleaner solutions compete for resources but also benefit from developments such as improved battery size, weight and cost. Rapidly delivering reliable, sustainable and cost-effective solutions presents many challenges.

What’s next for zero-emission reefer fleets

Development work is underway to plan and harmonize connectors and power requirements for charging electric trucks, charging eTRU batteries, and providing shore power when electric reefer vessels are parked or idling.

Extensive efforts to provide charging infrastructure for electric trucks should be expanded to incorporate the requirements of electric transportation refrigeration units.

The report can be downloaded from the NACFE website.