Today, Gethin has delivered a load of frozen chickens to a warehouse in Dudley. He is then picking up a load of ambient goods to take to Wolverhampton. Which of the following should he do?

Explanation: • Switch off the fridge as he approaches the delivery point to allow the temperature to start rising and save fuel: No, it is important to keep the temperature at the required level until the chickens are off-loaded to prevent the growth of bacteria etc.
• Switch off the fridge before loading the ambient goods: No, in order to reduce the environmental impact of the fridge, this needs to be switched off as soon as possible i.e. after unloading the frozen chickens.
• Leave the fridge running as it will also be needed for the ambient goods: No, "ambient" goods are carried at the prevailing outside temperature and using the fridge may damage those goods and will certainly add unnecessarily to the vehicle running costs and increase the risk to the environment.
• Switch off the fridge 3fter unloading the chickens: Yes, the ambient goods will be carried at "ambient" temperatures and switching of the fridge will reduce fuel consumption and thereby lessen the impact of the fridge on the environment.

Category: CPC Case Studies: Technical Matters