When a van isn't enough — reefer trucks for pallet loads, bulk distribution and inter-emirate cold freight. Chilled, frozen, or dual-zone on the same trip, from 3 to 10 tonnes, with a driver, GPS and full-trip temperature logging.
This page is maintained by the Chill Cool Transports dispatch team, who route reefer trucks on bulk and inter-emirate cold freight across the UAE. [Placeholder: add a named operations lead, years in UAE refrigerated freight, fleet size, and relevant transport permits here.] Trucks are a different discipline from vans — the questions that matter are pallet count, dock access, and whether your load is single- or dual-temperature. The guidance below reflects how we scope real freight jobs.
A refrigerated truck — often called a reefer truck — is a temperature-controlled truck with an insulated body and a powered cooling unit, built to carry pallet-scale cold freight from roughly 3 to 10 tonnes. It can run chilled (2–8°C), frozen (down to -22°C), or dual-zone (both at once in separate compartments). Reefer trucks handle the bulk cold-chain work that’s too large for a van: warehouse-to-store distribution, inter-emirate freight, and port-linked cargo.
The switch from van to truck isn't only about weight. Three signs your cold cargo needs a reefer truck, not another van run.
Once cargo is palletised, a truck with a tail-lift loads in minutes what a van takes hours to hand-stack. If you’re counting pallets, not boxes, you’re in truck territory.
Regular runs from a Dubai or Jebel Ali warehouse out to stores across the Emirates are more economical — and hold temperature more reliably over distance — in one truck than several van trips.
A dual-zone reefer truck carries a chilled compartment and a frozen compartment on the same trip — impossible in a single-temperature van.
The number that decides van-versus-truck faster than weight: pallet count. A standard UAE pallet footprint doesn’t fit efficiently in most vans, so a “heavy van load” is often really two or three pallets that a 3-tonne reefer truck swallows in one trip — loaded by tail-lift in minutes instead of hand-stacked in the heat. Before you book multiple van runs, tell us your pallet count; more often than not, one truck is both faster and cheaper.
Three reefer truck classes cover most UAE cold-freight jobs. We match the class to your pallet count, route and temperature.
Light pallet loads & city distribution
| Payload | Up to 3T |
|---|---|
| Pallets | ~3–4 |
| Temp | +18 to -22°C |
Mid-scale distribution & inter-emirate
| Payload | Up to 7T |
|---|---|
| Pallets | ~6–8 |
| Temp | +18 to -22°C |
Bulk freight & warehouse distribution
| Payload | Up to 10T |
|---|---|
| Pallets | ~10–12 |
| Temp | Dual-zone capable |
A reefer truck runs whichever temperature your freight needs — including both at once.
| Mode | Temperature | Typical Freight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilled | 2–8°C | Produce, dairy, beverages, chilled food at pallet scale | Bulk equivalent of a chiller van. |
| Frozen | -18 to -22°C | Frozen food, ice cream, meat & seafood in bulk | See freezer truck rental for frozen-only freight. |
| Dual-Zone | Chilled + Frozen | Mixed grocery distribution, combined store deliveries | Separate compartments on one trip — see reefer truck rental. |
| Pharma | 2–8°C (logged) | Bulk pharmaceutical & healthcare distribution | Request pharma cold transport for compliance logs. |
Freight is quoted per job. Five factors move the rate — here they are so your quote makes sense.
| Factor | Effect On Your Rate |
|---|---|
| Truck size | 3T, 7T and 10T reefers are priced by capacity and pallet count. |
| Temperature mode | Frozen and dual-zone run colder and cost more than single-zone chilled. |
| Route & distance | Inter-emirate freight prices above within-city distribution. |
| Contract term | Standing distribution contracts price well below one-off freight hires. |
| Loading & schedule | Tail-lift needs, multi-drop routes and overnight runs factor into the quote. |
Bulk cold freight, matched to how each distribution-scale sector operates.
Warehouse-to-store pallet deliveries of fresh and frozen goods across supermarket networks.
Bulk transfers from production facilities to distribution hubs and retail, temperature-logged.
Pallet-scale frozen distribution where the whole load must hold sub-zero over distance.
Bulk 2–8°C pharmaceutical distribution with compliance-grade temperature documentation.
Port-linked cold freight from Jebel Ali and beyond, moving containers of chilled and frozen cargo.
Large-scale event and hospitality supply where van capacity falls short.
Same cold chain, different scale. Here's where the line falls.
| Compare | Refrigerated Truck | Refrigerated Van |
|---|---|---|
| Payload | 3T to 10T | Up to 1.5T |
| Loading | Pallet + tail-lift | Hand-loaded |
| Best For | Bulk & inter-emirate freight | Last-mile & retail runs |
| Dual-Zone | Available | Single-temperature only |
| Book It Here | This page ↓ | Refrigerated Van → |
Inter-emirate cold freight from a single dispatch desk, with local coverage detail on each Emirate page.
Pallet count, number of stops, route and any dock or tail-lift needs.
We size the freezer truck to your load and quote, usually within the hour.
Cargo body pre-cooled, tail-lift ready, GPS live, driver briefed on your route.
Freight arrives frozen throughout, with the full-trip temperature log on request.
They’re the same thing — “reefer” is industry shorthand for a refrigerated truck. Both describe a truck with an insulated body and powered cooling unit for pallet-scale cold freight. The meaningful choices are size (3T–10T), temperature mode (chilled, frozen or dual-zone), and route.
Our reefer trucks run from 3 tonnes (around 3–4 pallets) up to 10 tonnes (around 10–12 pallets). We match the truck size to your pallet count and route so you’re not paying for unused capacity or making a second trip.
Yes — a dual-zone reefer truck runs a chilled compartment (2–8°C) and a frozen compartment (-18 to -22°C) on the same trip, which is ideal for mixed grocery distribution. Ask our desk to spec a dual-zone truck for combined loads.
Yes, tail-lift loading is available for palletised freight, which loads far faster than hand-stacking. Tell us if your pickup or delivery point needs a tail-lift so we assign the right truck.
As a rule of thumb: palletised loads, bulk distribution and inter-emirate freight suit a truck, while last-mile and retail runs suit a van. If you’re unsure, tell us your pallet count and route — the pallet count usually decides it faster than weight.
Yes — recurring inter-emirate and warehouse-to-store distribution can run on a standing contract, which prices below one-off freight hires and gives you a consistent driver and schedule. See our cold chain logistics service for managed distribution.
