E&MU: Making Reefer Maintenance Easier

any times, technological advancement can mean maintenance headaches for the technicians who have to keep the units on the road. Onboard computer modules, data collection and transmission devices and automated lubrication systems can sometimes seem designed to stump the mechanic.

The exception to the rule, however, might well be refrigeration-unit maintenance. As reefer technology has made significant strides over the past decade, maintenance has become easier, according to reefer manufacturers and some fleet maintenance managers.

“What’s driving technology changes is the customer,” said Tim Ryan, director of truck product management-Americas, ThermoKing, Minneapolis. “They want lower operating costs; they want to keep reefer units on the road. And that’s what we’ve tried to do over the years.”