In most fleets the cabin size is settled by length. In a refrigerated parc it is settled by height first, because the refrigeration unit sits above the roofline or at the front of the box and adds to overall height in a way the manufacturer plate does not record.
A refrigerated fleet workshop therefore starts from measuring the vehicle as it presents at the door, unit fitted, rather than from the vehicle class on paper.
Why height leads
A vehicle taller than the cabin does not enter, however generous the length. Length can sometimes be worked around by leaving part of the vehicle past the door on limited jobs; height cannot be worked around at all. The vehicle either goes in or it does not.
Spray and ventilation clearance above the vehicle is then added on top of overall height, which is why the cabin is built larger than the vehicle rather than equal to it.
| Dimension | What goes into the figure | Delivered range |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Body + refrigeration unit + spray clearance above | 2,650 – 6,000 mm |
| Length | The full box including any rear attachment | 3,000 – 24,000 mm |
| Width | At the widest point, usually the mirrors | 3,000 – 20,000 mm |
| Main door | The widest section presented at entry | 3,000×2,600 up to 14,200×5,000 mm powered |
This page and the box coating are two subjects
This page is about the workshop: size, door and operating cycle. Treating the refrigerated box surface itself — its panels, its joints and what its coating has to survive — is a separate subject, linked at the foot of the page.
Cycle planning for a fleet that runs at night
Many refrigerated operations work to fixed delivery windows and reach the workshop only in limited hours. That makes the number of cycles available per day matter more than the duration of any single cycle, and it is studied when extraction capacity is fixed rather than after installation.
The published air capacity runs from 18,000 to 190,000 m³/h per supply or extraction set, and the working figure is drawn from that range by cabin volume and the number of daily cycles required.
Common questions
Can we take the height from the manufacturer plate?
No. Measure the vehicle as it presents at the door with the refrigeration unit fitted, because the unit is usually not included in the plated height.
Does a refrigerated parc need a powered door?
It depends on size. The published door range starts at 3,000×2,600 mm and goes to 14,200×5,000 mm powered, and powered operation becomes practical as the door grows and its daily cycle count rises.
Will the same cabin serve the rest of the fleet?
Yes — a taller cabin accommodates shorter vehicles. But the cycle is computed on cabin volume, so running a tall cabin for a small vehicle consumes more than that vehicle requires.
If heights match, what settles the length?
The longest vehicle entering the workshop, measured with its full box and any rear attachment fitted.
Related reading
- Refrigerated trailer refinishing
- Last mile fleet workshop
- Distribution fleet workshop
- Workshop ceiling height
Next step
Send the overall height, length and width of the tallest refrigerated unit you run, measured with its refrigeration pack fitted, and we will come back with a cabin and door size built on it. Talk to a specialist. The full range sits on the paint booth family page.