Sutterton, UK: South Lincs Foodservice has taken delivery of two new trucks with Carrier Transicold Supra 1150 MT units and the company’s first-ever purchase of Eco-Drive systems. This combination allows the units to run via their diesel engine, or electrically from power derived from the truck engine itself, creating a hybrid configuration that will help the business reduce fuel consumption and improve fleet sustainability.
The Supra 1150 MT units and Eco-Drives are on 18-tonne Daf CF rigids and represent the first new vehicles delivered into the business in four years. Replacing older trucks in the South Lincs Foodservice fleet, they will each be used to operate delivery routes within a 90-mile radius of the company’s Sutterton depot.
“Carrier Transicold has always had a strong presence within our temperature-controlled fleet,” said Damon Ingamells, head of operations, South Lincs Foodservice. “So, when the team raised the potential for a hybrid configuration with the Eco-Drive technology, we were immediately interested. This allows us to reduce fuel costs and cut fleet emissions, with the flexibility of being able to revert to the unit’s own power source when required – it really is the ideal solution for our needs.”
Carrier Transicold’s Eco-Drive power module uses a hydraulic pump connected to the truck engine power take-off. This drives a generator that delivers the electrical power required for the Supra 1150 MT units, providing refrigeration capacity independent of the truck engine speed, which includes when it is idling.
South Lincs Foodservice, part of the Caterfood Buying Group, can opt to run the Carrier Transicold Supra 1150 MT units via their engine at the flick of a switch, providing hybrid flexibility. Regardless of which power configuration is chosen, the Supra 1150 MT always delivers constant airflow, rapid pull-down speeds and accurate multi-temperature set point control.
“Working with forward-thinking companies like South Lincs Foodservice is always rewarding,” said James Bell, sales and marketing director, Carrier Transicold. “And the introduction of the Eco-Drive technology to the fleet will certainly help to unlock new sustainability possibilities for its team.”
