Aldi is the UK’s sixth largest supermarket with more than 660 stores and 29,000 employees. The company operates more than 400 trailers equipped with Carrier Transicold refrigeration systems.
The supermarket chain is currently transitioning to multi-temperature trailer refrigeration systems, which gives it the flexibility to transport a mix of ambient, chilled and frozen goods in one consignment – cutting road miles and making the fleet more efficient.
Aldi turned to Carrier Transicold to provide the cooling power for 25 new Gray & Adams refrigerated trailers, selecting Vector™ 1950 multi-temperature (MT) systems. They are split between three Aldi regional distribution centres, in Bathgate, Swindon, and at the company’s headquarters in Atherstone.
The trailers will be in service year-round, delivering chilled, ambient and frozen produce to Aldi stores on a double-shift basis. Aldi plans to keep the trailers in service for 10 years and expects them to cover more than 90,000 miles annually.
The results
"Carrier remains our leading supplier due to its reliability and first class customer service."
Carrier Transicold’s Vector 1950 MT units offer a high refrigeration capacity of up to 18,200 watts, which ensures precise temperature control within each of the trailers’ compartments. A 5,700 m3/h airflow protects the load with even air distribution and an unparalleled pull-down time – making it ideal for intensive distribution cycles with multiple door openings.
"We operate a 140-strong all-Carrier fleet from Atherstone, and Carrier remains our leading supplier due to its reliability and first class customer service,” said a spokesperson for Aldi. “The Vector 1950 MT systems give us the power we need to consolidate deliveries, making our fleet more efficient and able to cope well with frequent door openings. We also opted for the low noise specification to reduce unit sound emissions, given most deliveries take place in urban areas."
The patented E-Drive™ technology built into the units uses electricity to simultaneously heat and cool the load space, ensuring maximum performance across several compartments. The technology also removes 17 serviceable parts from the unit, which increases reliability and trailer uptime.