Coolkit boosts capacity of refrigerated vans by 20% for Oliver Kay

Oliver Kay Produce has gained 20% extra capacity in its new fleet of chiller vans supplied by Coolkit.

The additional space is the result of Coolkit’s lightweight conversion.

Nigel Mason, group transport manager for Oliver Kay Produce, said: “We needed to replace nine of our existing vehicles and felt it was also a good time to assess our carbon footprint and seek ways to be more efficient on fuel and energy.”

The business operates a fleet of around 90 refrigerated vehicles and every day 100 drivers deliver fresh fruit and vegetables to customers around the UK.

Its new vehicles are based on a Volkswagen Crafter and offer a payload of 1,142Kg.

The vehicle design saw the fridge placed under the chassis, in order to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle and further aerodynamic surroundings, cab deflectors and side wings were to be added in order to maximise fuel efficiency and airflow.

Mason said: “I was really blown away by the level of detail which went into specifying our vehicles and the payload they offered was the best I’ve ever known.

“Each new van has 20% additional capacity, which stops us from having to swap items from van to van to meet weight restrictions and better still, it means we can condense delivery runs, which also helps cut costs.”