Markets: Refrigerated road transport: facts and figures

According to a recent TechNavio Insights study on the UK refrigerated road transport market study, the estimated total number of refrigerated road transport vehicles in the UK, in 2008, was around 140@000. Of these, 43% (60@000) were vans and 35% (45@000) were trailers, and the remaining 25% (35@000) were trucks. Use of semi-trailers as compared to trailers has increased over the last five years, because they are low-cost, more portable and less cumbersome. The number of vehicles in the UK is expected to grow at an average rate of 2% per annum until 2012. Around 72% of the fleet is rented and 28% is owned, generally by large retail companies.Most refrigerated transport road vehicles in the UK now use R-404A. The global road freight transport is expected to grow 2.5% per year until 2030. Europe handles 20% of total global freight, 3% of which is refrigerated. Currently there are around 12 million refrigerated vehicles, including vans, trucks (both of which use compressors running on the engine of the vehicle), semi-trailers or trailers (with self-contained refrigeration units). North America has the largest share of refrigerated vehicles (around 60%), followed by Europe, with 20%.