Hubbard Transport Offers Reliable Rental Solutions

Hubbard Transport Refrigeration Solutions is proud to have supplied Acrobat Vehicle Rentals of Hook, Hampshire with refrigeration systems for the majority of its 50-strong fleet of vehicles over the last eight years.

Acrobat specialises exclusively in refrigerated vehicles, from small vans to large box trucks, and is known for the quality of its fleet and the service it provides. For this reason the company has chosen Hubbard refrigeration units, which are specifically designed to give optimum performance in insulated vans or box bodies.

Hubbard produces a complete range of refrigeration systems for all types of vehicle. These include several ‘Best in Class’ high performance systems as well as cost effective and reliable refrigeration for applications demanding robust simplicity but also versatility - such as daily hire companies. Additionally, all refrigeration systems from Hubbard use environmentally friendly refrigerants.

Acrobat Vehicle Rentals fits the Hubbard Transport 460, 480 and 520 Alpha EL and 720 Alpha Direct Drive units to its vehicles. All units are suitable for operation down to -25 degrees C and offer easy to operate in-cab digital controllers as standard.

The 460 Alpha EL is designed for the transportation of fresh or frozen produce in vans or box bodies. It utilises an exterior roof-mounted condenser with separate interior evaporator unit and can be box body mounted using an optional mounting bracket. The 480 Alpha EL is designed for use in box bodies and incorporates an integrated refrigeration unit and evaporator for easy 'through the wall' installation. The 520 Alpha EL is a split unit designed for front mounting on 3.5-10 tonne box body lorries and the 720 Alpha is a split system designed to operate in large truck box bodies.

As well as being capable of chilling and freezing products, the systems supplied to Acrobat also have a heating function, so the units have the flexibility of providing temperatures between -25 and +20 degrees C.

Acrobat Vehicle Rentals serves customers across an array of sectors. Goods transported range from perishable foodstuffs to high value, sensitive pharmaceuticals, sometimes worth €10million per load even on a small van, so it is easy to see why reliability is so important.

The vast majority of clients are commercial, however occasionally a vehicle will be used for one-off private hire to transport, for example, food to a summer wedding or party. In this instance it is essential for vehicles and equipment to be dependable so as not to ruin someone’s special day or event. Whatever the load, Acrobat demands refrigeration units that won’t let them or their clients down.

This is why Acrobat has also chosen a maintenance contract package from Hubbard, to ensure that the refrigeration equipment is kept in the best condition, to give peace of mind and to simplify maintenance budgeting.

Adrian Rice, Managing Director of Acrobat Vehicle Rentals explains that: “All of our vehicles are high spec new Mercedes’, fitted with air conditioning and other extras as standard. Mirroring the quality of our fleet, the overriding factors when choosing the Hubbard refrigeration systems for our vehicles were reliability and build quality. We always go for the most powerful model available and are quick to purchase the latest upgrades.

“We recently opted for the scroll compressors for the Hubbard 460s so the units draw less current and are quieter. We also choose models from Hubbard that have an electric standby facility so we can offer this function as standard on all our fridge vans. The electric standby is ideal when the van needs to be parked while loaded overnight or during a catering event and can be plugged into domestic mains electricity.”

Adrian adds, “Of particular use for high value loads are the temperature recorders that we fit on all of our vehicles. We provide a satellite tracking service for our customers, which gives real-time or historical temperature readings of the vehicles and can be monitored from any computer with internet access. This shows we have confidence in our service and the equipment we use and gives customers piece of mind and the guarantee their products demand.

“Our customers often use the heating capability that the Hubbard units provide without even realising it. For instance when they are carrying chilled products but the outside temperature is below zero the system automatically maintains the correct temperature. This is essential for transport of certain pharmaceutical products through parts Europe where in winter the outside temperature can drop to -10 degrees C. It is also useful if products need to be kept at a consistent temperature through heat changes from day to night.

“We pride ourselves on being able to offer hire solutions from 1 day to 5 years. Companies hire from us for a number of reasons - they come to us if they’ve had a vehicle damaged or have just ordered a new one and are waiting for it to arrive or be fitted with refrigeration equipment, or just because they are busy and require more vans. Renting gives companies greater flexibility because in the event of business tailing off they are able to de-fleet excess vehicles quickly.

“People need to be able to rely on us and the equipment we use and with Hubbard units fitted on our vehicles I’m confident they can.”

Dougie Stoddart, Commercial Director of Hubbard Products says, “At Hubbard we refrigerate a large percentage of the UK’s local delivery vehicles. We understand that our customers rely on us, and that Hubbard products are integral to the profitability of their businesses. With national service coverage, using our own engineers, we offer superior products combined with the UK's best after sales support. Wherever reliability, efficiency and strict quality standards are required, Hubbard equipment is usually involved, taking fresh and frozen foods further.”