For chilled & frozen distribution
Refrigerated van leasing
Yes — limited companies and LLPs lease refrigerated vans from FleetMe on business contract hire. Chilled and frozen are different conversions with different insulation, and both cut payload against a standard panel van. Sole traders hire on short-term rental instead.
Get my van quote →Updated September 2026 · your agreement is with FleetMe
A fridge van is not a panel van with a cooler in it. The insulation, the lining, the fridge unit and the evaporator are all part of a conversion that is specified for a temperature range, and getting that range wrong is expensive in two directions — an under-specified van cannot hold temperature, an over-specified one costs you payload and money you did not need to spend.
Chilled or frozen: which conversion do you need?
Chilled work and frozen work need different insulation thicknesses and different fridge capacity. In England and Wales, food that needs temperature control must generally be held at 8°C or below, and frozen goods far lower again (Food Standards Agency, chilling food correctly in your business, 2026). The conversion is built for the range you actually operate in. Multi-temperature conversions with a bulkhead let you run chilled and frozen in one van, at the cost of complexity and usable space. Tell us the temperature range, the door-opening frequency and the ambient conditions you work in, and the specification is set out in your quote rather than guessed at.
Direct drive or electric standby?
A direct-drive unit runs off the engine, which is fine for a van that is moving all day but does nothing when it is parked. An electric standby unit lets you plug into mains overnight or during a long stop and hold temperature without idling, which matters for early loading and for depot storage. Standby adds cost and weight. So does insulation: a fridge conversion can take a substantial share of a van's payload before you load a single crate, which is why chilled operators so often end up a size larger than they first planned. Ask for the payload figure of the converted vehicle, not the base van.
How does the conversion sit inside the contract?
A refrigerated van is a converted asset, so the conversion is part of what we supply and what is written into your agreement — including its condition at the end of the term. If you want changes to a vehicle we already supply, they need our written agreement first. Operationally, the discipline that protects you is record-keeping: temperature logs, a pre-cooled van before loading, and strict door discipline on a multi-drop round. A fridge unit holds temperature; it will not pull warm stock back down quickly on a hot day.
Not a limited company?
Business contract hire is for limited companies and LLPs. If you trade as a sole trader, or you want the vehicle in your own name, what we can supply is short-term vehicle rental of up to 89 days instead. Incorporating is the step that opens up business contract hire over 24 to 60 months, which is why plenty of tradespeople do it before taking on a van.
Get a written quote
Tell us the vehicle, the mileage and how long you need it for. We come back with a written quote — usually the same working day — and we confirm which agreement applies before anything is signed.
- ✓ Your agreement is with FleetMe
- ✓ We confirm your quote in writing
- ✓ Business rentals quoted ex VAT, with VAT shown
Thanks — your enquiry is in.
We’ll go through what you need and come back with a written quote, usually the same working day. Your agreement would be with FleetMe — we supply the vehicle, and we confirm it in writing before anything is agreed.
What happens next
- 1 We read what you sent us. We check the vehicle, the length and the mileage you asked for, and work out what we can do at that specification.
- 2 We come back with a written quote. Usually the same working day. It sets out the vehicle, how long you have it, the mileage, the initial rental and the monthly figure — ex VAT with the VAT-inclusive figure alongside.
- 3 You decide. Nothing is committed until you have that in writing and you are happy to go ahead. If we can’t help, we’ll tell you honestly and say why.
Nothing is committed at this stage, and if we can’t help we’ll tell you honestly rather than leave you waiting.
Browse vans →Facts & figures
The bigger picture
Source: SMMT, 2025
Source: SMMT, 2025
Source: BVRLA Leasing Outlook, 2026
UK market figures from the sources named on each card — not FleetMe's own results.
Common questions
Does a fridge conversion reduce how much I can carry?
Yes, meaningfully. The insulation, lining and fridge equipment all count against payload, and thicker insulation for frozen work costs more again. Always compare the payload of the converted vehicle rather than the base van.
What is the difference between direct drive and standby?
Direct drive runs off the engine and only cools while the van runs. Electric standby lets you plug into mains to hold temperature when parked or overnight. Standby costs more and weighs more, and it is essential for some operations.
Can I run chilled and frozen in the same van?
A multi-temperature conversion with a moveable bulkhead can do it. You lose some usable space and pay for the complexity, so it is worth being honest about how often you genuinely need both at once.
Can I have my own fridge unit fitted to a leased van?
Any conversion or fitted equipment needs our written agreement before work starts, because the vehicle is our asset. Raise it at quote stage and it becomes part of the specification and the contract.
Can a sole trader get a refrigerated van?
Contract hire is for limited companies and LLPs, so a sole trader would be on short-term rental of up to 89 days. A converted fridge van really belongs on the longer route, which is a good reason to talk to your accountant about incorporating.
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