Perishable Food Delivery: 6 Low-Cost Vehicle Options

Planning to take the leap and start offering farm-to-front-door delivery?

There’s no way around it: Selling online and delivering perishable, farm-fresh meats takes significant investment — from building a website and marketing your delivery service to experimenting with different packaging methods and insulation types.

But your biggest expense by far will be finding the right vehicle.

In this blog, we’ll hear from Blaine Hitzfield, one of the brothers behind the highly successful Seven Sons Farm. He’ll share the vehicle options that carried his family farm through their massive stages of growth, as well as the pros, cons, and costs of each one.

Let’s get your farm moving!

Level 1: A Chest Freezer in Your Truck Bed

If you’re starting your farm delivery business on a small budget, we have good news: You can use what you already have.

Blaine recommends strapping a chest freezer down in the back of your farm pickup truck to make your first few deliveries. If you’re only making a few small dropoffs, you can even put a few simple coolers in a minivan or SUV.

This works especially well for short routes. You shouldn’t face temperature issues since you’ll complete the deliveries quickly.

Pros:

The biggest pro of this setup is that it’s cheap. You probably don’t have to buy anything, making it a low-risk way to experiment with perishable shipping.

Cons:

This is definitely a temporary setup. As your order volume grows, you’ll need more space to store customers’ orders and a more reliable way to keep them at the right temperature.

The cost:

If you already have an SUV or pickup truck and a chest freezer or a few large coolers, you shouldn’t need to spend anything to try this setup!

Free Resource: The Farm Scaling Roadmap: From Weekend Sales to Full-Time Business

Level 2: Basic Cargo Trailer

Need more space to accommodate your growing customer list? The next step up is a simple cargo trailer loaded with three to five chest freezers.

You can’t keep these freezers running while you’re going down the road, but Blaine recommends keeping them plugged in overnight to ensure they stay cold throughout the journey.

Pros:

• This setup has a relatively low upfront cost, especially if you use your existing pickup truck and opt for a preowned trailer.
• A basic cargo trailer is multipurpose. When you aren’t using it for deliveries, you can haul equipment and tools around the farm.

Cons:

• If your direct-to-consumer (DTC) farming business really takes off, you’re likely to outgrow the storage space quickly.
• You’ll need to find space to park the trailer when it’s not in use.
• Pulling a trailer of any size is a skill, and it comes with hazards. Ensure it’s safely connected and ready for the road before heading out on your route.

The cost:

An enclosed, 12x6-foot trailer costs between $3,500 and $6,000 new, but you can save money by going smaller or purchasing a used one.

Level 3: Rental Refrigerated Truck

You’re ready to take on longer delivery routes, but not quite ready to invest in a refrigerated truck. What’s next?

Blaine recommends renting one on an as-needed basis from a provider like Ryder, Penske, or a local depot. This is a great option for seasonal farm businesses that make infrequent but large-volume deliveries.

Pros:

• There are no major upfront costs or ongoing maintenance fees.
• Rental trucks are generally well-maintained, so they’re reliable for long days and distances.
• You can choose the trailer size to meet your budget and capacity needs.

Cons:

• Rental fees add up very quickly if you make frequent deliveries. If you’re delivering more than once per month, you should consider skipping the rental phase.
• Since you have to schedule your rentals, your preferred truck might not always be available when you need it.
• Picking up and returning the truck to and from the rental depot can make long delivery days even longer.

The cost:

Rental prices for refrigerated trucks depend on local demand, capacity needs, and more — but you should expect to pay between $200 and $500 per day.

Level 4: Used Reefer Truck

Tired of paying hefty fees and driving to the rental depot every time you want to make deliveries? It might be time to upgrade your setup and purchase your own refrigerated (reefer) truck.

Blaine recommends purchasing a preowned reefer truck to lower the barrier to entry.

Pros:

• Owning your own refrigerated truck eliminates the availability and scheduling concerns that come with renting.
• For frequent deliveries, owning can be cheaper than renting in the long term.
• Reefer trucks have refrigeration equipment onboard, so you can take longer delivery routes and trust that your products will stay fresh and safe.

Cons:

• Reefer trucks have large capacities and high weights, so you’ll have to comply with Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, like weight limits and driver licensing.
• Owning an all-in-one vehicle and refrigeration system can mean high maintenance and repair costs, especially if you buy used.
• These trucks take up a significant amount of space, so you need a dedicated storage area.

The cost:

Expect to spend between $12,000 and $30,000 for a used refrigerated truck. Costs may be higher or lower depending on your local market and availability.

Related Read: Local Delivery Strategy for Small Farm Stores: 6 Top Tips

Level 5: Freezer Trailer

If you want to reduce the repair risks of an all-in-one vehicle and expand your storage capacity, consider purchasing a freezer trailer. This is one of Blaine’s favorite options.

Pros:

• You can attach a freezer trailer to your farm’s pickup truck, eliminating DOT regulation constraints and lowering the overall investment.
• A freezer trailer doubles as on-site storage for your farm, making it worth the money and space.
• Since the trailer isn’t attached to a truck, you can expect lower maintenance costs and fewer repair needs.

Cons:

• Pulling a heavy trailer means poor gas mileage. Blaine says to expect less than 10 miles/gallon when hauling a full freezer trailer.
• These trailers generally have loud generators. You may want to turn it off when you’re delivering in residential areas.
• You’ll still need to find a significant amount of space to store your trailer.

The cost:

Small trailers start at around $10,000, with prices going up to and above $20,000 for larger trailers, depending on the brand and specifications.

[H2] Level 6: Refrigerated Sprinter Van

Wondering what Seven Sons Farm uses today for their countless farm deliveries? They’ve realized that refrigerated sprinter vans are the best fit for their operation.

Instead of pulling a trailer or investing in heavy-duty reefer trucks, Blaine and his family farm team appreciate the flexibility of custom, refrigerated sprinter vans.

Pros:

• Almost anyone can maneuver a sprinter van, making it easy to hire a fleet of professional drivers to manage your growing delivery volume.
• There’s a large market for used sprinter vans, making them affordable to purchase and easy to sell if you want to pivot.
• Sprinter vans usually get better gas mileage than pickup and trailer combinations.
• You can add a custom wrap with your farm store logo and colors to build brand awareness.

Cons:

• There are maintenance costs and repair needs to consider for any vehicle, especially if you’re buying used.
• Sprinter vans are fairly spacious, but you may run into weight issues if you want to make larger deliveries.

The cost:

Used vans start at around $15,000, and new vans are around $50,000.

Making Perishable Food Deliveries With GrazeCart

You’ve got the right vehicle — now you need the right system to keep your farm deliveries running smoothly.

GrazeCart is an all-in-one e-commerce platform designed to help DTC farmers like you make online sales, build a thriving customer base, and stay profitable. Our software includes features like a drag-and-drop website builder, weight-based sales, email marketing, order fulfillment tools, and more.

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