Industry terminology for refrigerated transport vehicles equipped with insulated cargo spaces and mechanical refrigeration systems. “Reefer” derives from “refrigerated” and encompasses trucks, trailers, vans, and shipping containers maintaining controlled temperatures throughout transport. Reefer specifications vary widely based on application: long-haul transport, urban delivery, multi-temperature requirements, and regulatory compliance needs. Critical specifications include insulation quality (R-value, thickness, thermal bridge elimination), refrigeration capacity properly sized for altitude and duty cycle, temperature monitoring systems, and backup power capability. In South Africa, reefer vehicle quality ranges from professional specifications exceeding regulatory requirements to barely compliant vehicles gambling with product integrity to minimize investment. The frozen food industry’s tolerance for marginal reefer vehicles reflects perverse incentives where equipment suppliers, bodybuilders, and operators all profit from selling/accepting minimum-compliance construction while passing cold chain risks to customers and consumers.
Related Terms: Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU), Insulated Vehicle, Temperature-Controlled Transport, Mechanical Refrigeration