Hythe, UK: Hultsteins, which makes an alternative to diesel-engined fridges, has appointed Longhurst Refrigeration as its UK aftersales service partner.
Longhurst provides 24-hour cover to operators in the south of England and was recognised as Transport Refrigeration Service Provider of the Year at the TCS&D Awards in 2016 and 2018.
“As a fully independent company, this is potentially a gamechanger for us,” says operations director Fred Allen. As well as providing hands-on service to Hultsteins’ customers in their usual catchment area, Longhurst will also have responsibility for co-ordinating all repair and maintenance work carried out on Hultsteins’ behalf, nationwide.
“For customers further afield, we will take responsibility for vetting all third-party providers, ensuring they are trained and competent to the same level as our own engineers,” Allen says.
“We will also look after all invoicing and technical enquiries, keeping everything clean, tidy and efficient. This means operators will only need to deal with one trusted point of contact, no matter when or where they might need us.”
Hultsteins has two products that allow a fridge to be powered by the truck’s engine via a PTO. For rigid-bodied vehicles up to 26-tonnes, the Ecofridge Slimline is a hydraulic solution, replacing the traditional top-mounted unit with a slimmer, lighter version which also allows vehicle height to be kept to a minimum.
For tractors and trailers there is the Ecogen, that uses the same technology to generate the 400v electricity needed to run an existing diesel fridge using its integral stand-by electric motor.
“There’s real potential here for operators to see a big improvement in their carbon footprint, compared to a traditional diesel fridge,” Allen said.
“Meanwhile, for Longhurst Refrigeration, the aim is to develop alongside Hultsteins, helping to build confidence in their environmentally friendly products from the very beginning.”
Pictured above are Graham Usher, (left) sales distributor for Hultsteins products with Jason Longhurst, managing director, Longhurst Refrigeration
