Although an ATP certificate is only required abroad, having one in the UK provides peace of mind to customers.
The ATP agreement has been in action in the UK since October 1980, providing common internationally recognised standards for the transport of perishable foodstuffs.
For a road haulage operator only delivering foodstuffs in the UK, there is no legislative requirements for ATP. However, for operators travelling internationally, an ATP certificate is always essential. When refrigerated vehicles are found carrying perishable produce without the vehicle having a valid ATP certificate or plate, there is often a fine on the spot, and in some cases the operator will be forced to transfer the load to a certified vehicle.
Rupert Gatty, managing director at CoolKit, commented: “As the UK's leading manufacturer of fridge vans, it is imperative that we provide all our vehicles with ATP type approval, demonstrating the overall superior quality of our conversions, from the in-house design and manufacturing of the insulated lining kit, to the correct installation of the refrigeration unit, creating a complete state-of-the-art fridge conversion.”
Cameron Javed, CoolKit's sales director, added: “Our customers want to know they can trust our product and service. Taking the time to adhere to testing makes sure we are one step ahead of the competition, providing a state-of-the-art service to our growing portfolio of customers. Whether they require an ATP Certificate or not, it provides them with peace of mind regarding the quality and capability of our refrigerated vehicles.”