Choosing the right chiller vehicle is half the job with any temperature-sensitive load. Al Basmah International Shipping, a refrigerated transport company in the UAE, runs small chiller vans for daily orders, medium and large reefer trucks for distribution and wholesale, reefer trailers for full loads and reefer containers for export. Bodies are set chilled at 0 to +8°C or frozen down to −18°C, and we serve restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, hotels and event organisers across every emirate. Send your goods and quantity on WhatsApp +971557643821 and we will suggest the right size and the price.
Stops in this guide15 sectionsShowHide
Pick the right chiller vehicle
- Small quantity in the city: a chiller van, from AED 275 per trip.
- Several branches to supply: a 3 to 5 tonne truck.
- Wholesale or warehouse to warehouse: a 7 to 10 tonne truck or a trailer.
- Frozen goods need a body that reaches −18°C; chilled goods run at 0 to +8°C.
- Medicines: +2 to +8°C, with a temperature photo at pickup and delivery on request.
What is refrigerated transport and why do you need it in the UAE?
Refrigerated transport is delivery in a vehicle with insulated walls and a cooling unit that runs throughout the trip, so goods arrive at the temperature they left at. When summer asphalt passes 50°C, a closed box or the cab’s air conditioning will not protect food or medicine. Any business handling fresh food, frozen products or medicines needs this service, whether daily or for specific occasions.
You need refrigerated transport if any of these applies to your goods:
- The pack says “keep refrigerated” or “keep frozen”.
- They lose shape or taste after an hour at room temperature, like cream, chocolate and flowers.
- The receiver rejects them above a set temperature, as restaurants, hotels and pharmacies do.
- The run passes through midday or includes waiting at the receiver.
If your loads stay inside Dubai, the guide to refrigerated transport in Dubai may help; for runs between emirates and their timings, see refrigerated shipping within the UAE.
Chiller van and reefer truck types and sizes
Vehicles differ in more than payload: cooling-unit capacity, access to narrow streets and car parks, and whether a tail lift is fitted for unloading. The table sums up the common options:
| Vehicle | Approx. capacity | Best for | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiller van (Hiace or Sprinter size) | Up to about 1 tonne | Restaurants, pharmacies, dessert shops, large home orders | Gets into tight streets and mall car parks |
| Pickup with chiller box (1–3 t) | A few pallets | Vegetables and dairy for neighbourhood groceries | Middle ground between van and truck |
| Medium truck (3–5 t) | About 6 to 10 pallets | Supermarkets, restaurant chains, multi-drop runs | Many have a tail lift |
| Large truck (7–10 t) | Wholesale loads | Warehouse transfers, hotel and camp supply | Needs a loading dock or forklift |
| Reefer trailer | Up to about 24 pallets | Full loads inside the country and to the Gulf | Priced as a full run |
| Reefer container 20 / 40 ft | Depends on the cargo | Sea export from Jebel Ali or Khalifa Port | Booked with the shipping line in advance |
A practical rule: count pallets or cartons before weight. A van body fills up by volume long before it nears its weight limit, and one five-tonne truck can cost less than two vans when the drops sit on one route.
Cooling units and tail lifts: details that matter
On small vans the cooling unit usually runs off the vehicle engine, so cooling stops if the engine is off for a long time at the receiver. Many medium and large trucks and trailers carry a standalone unit with its own engine that keeps running while parked. If your run includes a long wait at a warehouse gate or an event site, we tell you which vehicle copes with that. A tail lift saves you labour and a forklift at shops with no dock, and shortens the time the doors stay open at each drop.
Chilled or frozen? Chiller vehicles versus freezer vehicles
Plenty of people ask for “a fridge truck” without saying more, and only later does it turn out the goods are frozen and the body cannot go below zero. Settle this before booking.
Chiller vehicle
Usually runs at 0 to +8°C for dairy, vegetables, fruit, fresh meat, desserts and medicines. Its insulation is built for above-zero settings.
Freezer vehicle
Thicker insulation and a stronger unit reaching −18°C, for frozen meat and fish, ice cream, frozen vegetables and frozen bakery.
Two-compartment body
An internal divider allows two temperatures on one run, handy for restaurants ordering small amounts of chilled and frozen together.
Mild setting (+12 to +18°C)
For chocolate and some tropical fruit that strong cold damages, and for certain cosmetics.
A freezer vehicle can be set to a chilled temperature, but not the other way round. If your orders switch between the two through the week, tell us in advance so the right body is assigned each day.
Temperatures by goods and body setting
These are approximate ranges common in food and pharma transport; the binding figure is the one the manufacturer prints on the pack.
| Category | Examples | Approx. body setting |
|---|---|---|
| Deep frozen | Ice cream | −20°C or colder |
| Frozen | Frozen meat, fish, poultry and vegetables; frozen dough | −18°C or colder |
| Near zero | Fresh meat and chicken, fish on ice | −1 to +2°C |
| Chilled | Milk, laban, cheese, leafy greens, strawberries | 0 to +4°C |
| Medicines | Insulin, vaccines, drugs labelled “store in a refrigerator” | +2 to +8°C |
| Light chill | Tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes | +7 to +10°C |
| Tropical fruit | Bananas, mangoes | +10 to +14°C |
| Moderate | Chocolate, sweets, some cosmetics | +12 to +18°C |
| Flowers | Roses and cut flowers | +1 to +4°C |
Refrigerated transport by sector
Restaurants and central kitchens
A restaurant usually needs small, frequent loads: ingredients from the supplier in the morning, or meals from the central kitchen to branches before lunch. A chiller van or a two-compartment body fits best, with a fixed daily slot that matches prep hours.
Supermarkets and groceries
Here the job is spreading larger quantities over several branches, most of which receive before opening. A medium truck with a tail lift saves unloading time, and stacking pallets in drop order keeps the doors from standing open.
Pharmacies, medicines and medical supplies
Medicines stored at +2 to +8°C tolerate neither freezing nor warming. We set the body to the range before arrival and load the insulated boxes away from the direct cold-air outlet so their edges do not freeze. On request the driver sends a photo of the reading at pickup and delivery, and you get a WhatsApp message as each drop is handed over.
Hotels, catering and events
Weddings, exhibitions and large functions sometimes need a chiller vehicle parked on site as temporary cold storage for drinks, desserts and prepared food. We book it by the hour or the day and have it there before set-up starts.
Flowers, farms and fish
Flowers suffer from heat and from hard cold alike, fresh fish needs ice and foam boxes, and leafy greens wilt fast if the temperature climbs. Each of these travels separately or in its own compartment.
Ice cream and dessert shops
Ice cream needs −20°C or colder, and any partial thaw followed by refreezing shows in its texture and shape. Cakes and cream desserts, on the other hand, need moderate cooling and smooth driving more than hard cold, so we place them in rigid boxes on fixed shelves or pallets.
Food factories and warehouses
A factory supplying dozens of outlets usually needs large trucks to move output from the packing line to a store or distribution centre, then smaller vehicles for the final drops. We schedule both legs so the goods do not sit on the dock in between.
Per trip, per day or a repeat arrangement?
How you book affects cost as much as vehicle size. A single trip suits a defined load between two points. A day booking suits many drops or a vehicle parked at an event, so you pay for the day rather than counting each stop. A repeat arrangement, daily or weekly, suits restaurants, chains and pharmacies that know their needs, and gives them a vehicle at the right temperature in a fixed slot without rebooking each time. Tell us your order pattern and we will suggest the best fit.
How to choose the right refrigerated vehicle
Answer these before you contact us and you will get an accurate suggestion and a clear price in the first reply:
- What temperature, and is it one setting or two?
- How many pallets or cartons, and roughly what weight?
- How many drops, and do they have receiving windows?
- Is there a loading dock or forklift at both ends? If not, we need a tail lift or labour.
- Is it a one-off or a repeat run? Repeat runs are priced differently.
- Do you need a photo record of the temperature?
How we prepare the vehicle and keep the cold chain
- The body is cleaned before every food load and aired of odours.
- Door seals are checked so cold air does not leak.
- The unit runs before arrival so the body is at temperature.
- Goods sit on pallets, not the floor, with a gap from the walls and roof.
- Doors open only at drops and close as soon as unloading ends.
- Products that swap odours or give off ethylene are kept apart.
Ask your supplier to hand the goods straight from the cold room to the vehicle. A few minutes on an open dock at midday can warm the carton surfaces more than an hour on the road.
How to book a chiller vehicle
- Message +971557643821 on WhatsApp with the goods and the temperature.
- Send the quantity, the number of drops and a photo of the cartons or pallets if you can.
- We agree the vehicle size and body type with you and send the price.
- We confirm the slot, and the vehicle arrives pre-cooled.
- You follow the run through the team’s messages up to the last drop.
Or use the quote page and we will call you back.
Packing and preparing goods for chilled transport
- Frozen goods must be fully frozen before loading, not half-frozen.
- Medicines go in insulated boxes or the maker’s original cartons with the temperature label.
- Cheese and dairy stay in sealed packs, away from fish and onions.
- Cakes and sweets go in rigid boxes that resist crushing.
- Every pallet is stretch-wrapped and labelled with the receiver’s name.
Mistakes people make when booking refrigerated transport
- Booking the smallest size to save money, then cramming the body so air cannot circulate.
- Forgetting that some buildings do not allow large trucks in.
- Placing medicines against the cold-air outlet so they freeze.
- Carrying bananas or apples with leafy greens in one body.
- Agreeing a run without mentioning the expected wait at the receiver.
Warning: Do not book a chiller vehicle for frozen goods to save money; a long rise above −18°C can make the receiver reject the whole load.
Refrigerated transport prices in the UAE and what affects them
A chiller van in the city starts from AED 275 per trip or day. Medium and large trucks, trailers, runs between emirates and trips abroad are priced on your request: send the details on WhatsApp and you will get the price. If budget comes first, see the guide to refrigerated shipping at competitive prices.
| What sets the price | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vehicle size | Van, medium truck, large truck, trailer |
| Temperature type | Chilled, frozen or two compartments |
| Distance | Within a city, between emirates, or abroad |
| Stops | Number of delivery addresses on the run |
| Waiting | Time the vehicle spends at the supplier, receiver or event site |
| Load | Shared part-load or a whole vehicle for you |
| Loading and unloading | Tail lift, forklift or labour |
| Documents | Export papers or receiver requirements |
Where we operate
We cover the whole UAE from our branches in Dubai (Deira, Port Saeed Street) and Sharjah (Industrial Area 18), and run reefer trucks by road to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. For farther countries we ship reefer containers from Jebel Ali or Khalifa Port; details are in the guide to international refrigerated transport. Exports usually need a commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, a health certificate for food and an import permit if the destination asks for one, and our team checks what each destination needs.
Chilled air freight for urgent goods
Some loads cannot spend days on the road or at sea: medical samples, flowers for an occasion, premium seafood, or sweets for a customer abroad. We take them in a chiller vehicle to the airport cargo terminal, where they are packed in insulated boxes with gel packs or dry ice to suit the temperature, then flown on the next available flight. Air freight is charged on actual or volume weight, whichever is higher, so it suits limited quantities.
FAQ: refrigerated transport in the UAE
What is the smallest chiller vehicle I can book?
A chiller van carrying about one tonne, suited to restaurants, pharmacies and daily city orders, starting from AED 275 per trip.
Do your vehicles reach −18°C?
Yes, our freezer vehicles reach −18°C; say so when booking, because standard chiller vehicles do not go below zero.
Do you carry medicines?
Yes, at +2 to +8°C, with a photo of the temperature reading at pickup and delivery if you ask for it.
Can I book a chiller vehicle for a wedding or exhibition?
Yes, by the hour or the day; it stays on site as mobile cold storage.
Do you have tail lifts for unloading?
Many of our medium trucks have a tail lift; tell us if your site has no dock or forklift.
Can chilled and frozen goods go together?
In a two-compartment body when the quantities suit it; otherwise we send two vehicles.
Are the goods insured?
Ask the team about optional insurance; they will explain the options for your goods’ type and value.
How will I know when it arrives?
The team messages you on WhatsApp at loading, departure, arrival and handover.
For exact temperatures and packing per product, read the guide to refrigerated shipping for all goods.
Not sure which vehicle size you need?
Send a photo of your goods with the address and the temperature, and we will pick the right vehicle.
Tags: refrigerated transport company in the UAE, chiller van rental, freezer truck, chiller van Dubai, refrigerated transport for restaurants, supermarket chilled delivery, medicine cold transport, chiller truck for events, 5 ton chiller truck, reefer trailer, reefer container, frozen goods transport, frozen meat transport, dairy and cheese transport, refrigerated transport Abu Dhabi, refrigerated transport Sharjah, Al Basmah International Shipping
