The trucking industry is the backbone of the transportation industry in the U.S. 3.5 million truck drivers are responsible for transporting over 70% of all freight transported annually. The type of truck bodies that commercial food trucks, like those from Arrow Truck Sales, have are crucial in maintaining an optimal internal temperature for transporting food products and ensuring that they do not spoil and that microbial growth is prevented.

Most of the top-of-the-line commercial food trucks have 3 inches of polyurethane foam installed in the floor, walls and ceiling and 4 inches of polyurethane foam installed in the front wall for insulation. Polyurethane foam is one of the most popular types of materials used as insulation. Here are 3 reasons why.

Improvement of Stiffness and Structural Integrity of Truck Body During Impact

First and foremost, there are two different types of polyurethane foam insulation: open-cell and closed-cell. Open-cell polyurethane foam is more aerated in comparison to closed-cell polyurethane foam; thus, it is less dense.

If you choose to install closed-cell polyurethane foam on your commercial food trucks, which is typically the recommended path to go, you can improve the stiffness and structural integrity of the truck bodies. As a result, polyurethane foam insulation should be installed to all sides of the truck bodies. 

Closed-cell polyurethane foam helps strengthen the walls, ceiling and floors of the truck bodies; thus, making them more resistant to damages during impact. The closed-cell polyurethane foam will absorb a lot of the impact, preventing the cargo of food products from getting damaged. This is particularly important if you are transporting food products that are fragile and can be easily crushed or crumbled.

Protection from Heat Radiating Down from the Hot Metal Roof

All commercial food trucks are composed of some sort of metal. The metal roof will easily overheat and cause the internal temperatures of the commercial food trucks to rise. By installing polyurethane foam insulation to the underside of the roofing, heat transmission is greatly reduced. This type of protection is essential for commercial food trucks, as it prevents food products from becoming spoiled. 

Keep in mind that food spoils once the temperature has increased to over 40 degrees Fahrenheit  After the food products have warmed up to that temperature, there is only a 2 hour window where you can choose to either chill the food products or cook them. 

Increased Efficiency By Better Maintaining and Controlling Internal Temperatures

Polyurethane foam insulation should also be installed to the flooring of the commercial food trucks, so much so that it is considered as essential to the overall energy efficiency of the trucks.

Install polyurethane foam insulation to the underside of the flooring to eliminate the heat load that is a result of rising heat from the road surfaces. Asphalt pavement can reach temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, you will literally be able to observe the heat waves that are being emitted. 

Polyurethane foam insulation installed to the underside of the flooring will help ensure that the rising heat does not transmit into the truck bodies of the commercial food trucks. This in return will help improve overall energy efficiencies and will also help maintain the internal temperatures within the truck bodies.

Conclusion

For the sake of protecting the food products and preventing them from spoiling, polyurethane foam insulation should literally be installed at all sides of the truck bodies to provide protection during impact, protect the food products from heat radiation, and also improve overall energy efficiency.

The thickness of the insulation that should be installed will be dependent on the ideal internal temperature that the truck bodies need to maintain, the type of food products that the commercial food trucks will be transporting, the amount of times that the doors will be opened, how the products are packaged, how air will be circulated within the truck bodies and the total weight of the food products.