AusCold Transport grows with Carrier-powered fleet

AusCold Transport stands out in the competitive space that is Australia’s cold chain solutions industry. The company is a new kid on the block in comparison to established behemoths which have grown to operate large fleets across interstate operations, but it has undergone considerable growth – and in a very short period of time.

The company was born in 2022 in Dandenong, Victoria, from the minds of friends, Raghav Patel and Yuvraj Solanki. The two men, who separately moved from India before reconnecting in Australia, both arrived with big entrepreneurial dreams.

“I came to Australia in 2009 and Yuvraj a bit before me,” Raghav says. “We were both excited to see what opportunities the country could provide us with.”

Post arrival, Raghav tried his hands at various jobs before teaming up with Yuvraj to make an impact. Cold chain logistics was an attractive idea to the two partners. 

“We chose to enter the refrigerated transport industry because it seemed like there was steady work available,” Raghav says. “Everyone needs temperature-controlled products, mainly in the form of food. That means there will always be demand for people to transport these goods.

“Additionally, the lifestyle and responsibility seemed to suit what we wanted to do. We were excited to manage drivers, build a network and make a difference.”

AusCold Transport has since grown from a single truck and trailer operation to a 10-unit fleet of semi-trailers and B-double combinations. Carrying a range of produce, chocolate, bread and other foodstuffs, the logistics provider routinely makes cold chain deliveries on an interstate basis between Victoria, New South Wales and as far as Queensland.

Raghav says the business’ impressive rate of growth has been made possible by two components – the first being his appetite for risk which has led to him taking on a variety of jobs to get the AusCold Transport name in front of as many customers as possible.

“There’s a lot of competition around us,” he says. “We cut through that by taking on big jobs and completing them with a commitment to high-quality customer service. Even our push into interstate work was a risk, but it paid off and has been essential to our fast growth.”

The second component to this expansion has been the use of Carrier Transicold refrigeration units. These systems have been integral to AusCold Transport’s operation since its inception.

“We’ve been dealing with Carrier since the beginning,” Raghav explains. “We wanted to align ourselves with the best refrigeration units when we were getting started to ensure the best temperature control and delivery quality.

“We had heard so many good things about Carrier throughout the industry, so picking them was an easy choice for us.”

AusCold Transport has equipped its fleet units with a number of Carrier Transicold refrigeration units over the years. In the early days, Raghav and Yuvraj utilised the Carrier X2 2500 APX model which proved well-suited for their company due to its low cost of ownership, intuitive driver interface and APX control system which allowed for remote control usage.

The APX’s remote capabilities, coupled with Carrier Lynx Fleet telematics, soon became a must for Raghav. He still uses them today in more current Carrier Transicold models.

“Being able to control our Carrier units remotely has been a massive help to our operations,” he says. “With an online connection, I can change the temperature of our freight while it is in the middle of a delivery.

“This ability can be useful if we’re dealing with delays while travelling or if our goods require a temperature change mid-journey. It also prevents operators from worrying about the temperature of their freight while on the road, allowing them to focus purely on driving.”

Carrier Transicold Vector 1950 MT units have provided a new set of benefits to AusCold Transport. In addition to maximised uptime, a large choice of evaporators and reinforced cargo protection, this model in particular has increased the fleet’s sustainability.

This is mainly due to the included E-Drive technology which, replacing the unit’s direct-coupled compressors with a direct-coupled high-performance generator, powers the system with electricity and ultimately reduces diesel usage and carbon emissions.

“It’s important for us to be sustainable wherever possible,” Raghav says. “We travel long distances for our deliveries, so it’s good to know that the emissions along the way are being controlled to some degree.”

AusCold Transport recently invested in Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19 refrigeration systems as well. This model includes select features of its predecessors such as an APX control system and Lynx Fleet telematics for remote control usage and E-Drive technology, in addition to other new game-changing attributes.

Carrier Transicold’s Vector HE 19 unit has the ability to reduce fuel consumption by up to 30 per cent, tare weight by 10 per cent and maintenance costs by 15 per cent over its predecessors. It has been a very economical choice for AusCold Transport and a comfortable choice for its operators as a result.

“The Vector HE 19’s fuel consumption is really low,” Raghav says. “We’re able to save a lot of fuel by running this refrigeration unit, especially on longer drives. Its thermal efficiency provides us with peace of mind to run very cold temperatures too, as we mostly run our models at -22ºC for our freight.

“We’ve received great feedback on the Vector HE 19 unit and its ability to run with very little noise. Our drivers can actually sleep during long transport journeys because of how quiet it is. They’re able to stay comfortable and well-rested which allows them to carry out their driving duties much better and safer.”

AusCold Transport has been thrilled with the performance and reliability of its Carrier Transicold refrigeration units. The company is now planning to invest in another application which it hopes will deliver even greater business benefits.

“We’re very excited about using Carrier’s products,” Raghav says. “We’re looking forward to purchasing a new Vector HE 17 model, when the time is right.

“We have every reason to believe it will help our business which has already grown so much. Until then, our other Carrier units will keep getting the job done.”