Buying a used refrigerated van

A refrigerated van lets a small food business deliver further and carry more fresh stock. Buying a used one can be a sensible way to start. This page covers the checks that matter for a chilled van in the UK, on top of the usual ones for any used van.

The temperature it needs to hold

Chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below. That is a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and it is recommended in Scotland.

GOV.UK's food hygiene guidance says chilled and frozen food must stay at the right temperature during transport as well as in storage. For fridges, it suggests a setting of 5°C or below, so food stays cold enough when the temperature changes. A test run with the unit switched on, before you buy, shows what the van can hold.

Loading food well

Food should travel in packaging or containers that protect it, marked as suitable for food contact. Where raw and ready-to-eat food share a fridge, the raw food goes below. Clear labels help keep ingredients apart, which matters most for allergens.

The refrigeration unit

Owners of refrigerated trucks and trailers are responsible for getting the refrigeration unit checked for leaks of fluorinated gas (F gas). How often depends on the type and amount of gas in the system. A leak found in a check must be repaired as soon as possible, then checked again within a month.

Work on refrigerated trucks over 3.5 tonnes and on refrigerated trailers needs an F gas qualification. Asking the seller for the unit's service and leak-check records is a good start.

Trips outside the UK

Carrying perishable food to or from the 50 countries in the ATP agreement needs an approved vehicle. Vans designed for perishable food will generally have been approved already. You should be given the ATP certificate when you buy.

The first certificate lasts 6 years. After that the vehicle is retested every 3 years to stay approved. A vehicle without a certificate has to be tested, and GOV.UK says older vehicles are unlikely to pass. Approved vehicles also show a 2 or 3 letter class code on the outside.

Weight and your licence

The maximum authorised mass is the weight of the vehicle including the most it can carry safely. It is usually shown on a plate or sticker on the vehicle. A car licence for a test passed on or after 1 January 1997 covers petrol and diesel vehicles up to 3,500kg. For electric or hydrogen vehicles the limit is 4,250kg.

A weighbridge will show what the van weighs when it is loaded. Most are run by private businesses, so it is worth contacting one before you go.

Registering the business

A new food business must register with its local authority at least 28 days before it starts trading. Registration is free. It applies whether the business trades from premises or from a van.