How Much Does a Chiller Van Cost in Dubai? A 2026 Price Guide

Short answer: from AED 350 a day for a 1-tonne chiller van with a driver. But that number is nearly useless on its own, because what sits around it decides what you actually pay.

We publish our rates, which is unusual in this trade. Most Dubai transport companies won't put a figure on a page — you have to call, describe your job, and then get a number that has already been adjusted based on how urgent you sounded.

Here's the whole picture, including the parts that don't flatter us.

The base rates

Those include the vehicle, the refrigeration unit, maintenance, insurance and a driver, for nine working hours a day, Saturday to Thursday.

The bit that catches people: daily hire is a terrible deal long-term

Run the arithmetic. A chiller van at AED 350/day, six days a week, is about AED 9,100 a month. The monthly contract for the identical van is AED 5,500.

That's roughly 40% cheaper for the same vehicle. If you're running a route every morning and still booking day by day, you're paying about AED 3,600 a month for flexibility you aren't using.

We tell clients this, generally within the first two weeks. It costs us revenue. It's also why they're still here five years later.

What isn't in the rate

Fuel and Salik

Billed at cost, with every receipt kept. No markup.

Some companies bundle fuel into the headline rate. It sounds simpler and it's almost always more expensive, because the estimate has to cover the worst case — and you can never audit it. A Deira circuit and an Abu Dhabi run burn wildly different fuel; one flat number can't be fair to both.

Extended hours

Nine hours is the standard day. Need twelve? It's quoted as an extra, openly.

Friday

Standard contracts run Sat–Thu. Friday is available and quoted.

Intercity

Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and long runs are quoted per trip, not day-rated. A day rate on an Abu Dhabi round trip either overcharges you or doesn't cover the return leg — neither is honest.

What makes your quote go up or down

• Temperature. A freezer van costs more than a chiller van because holding -18°C in August is harder engineering than holding +4°C.
• Size. Obvious, but worth stating: don't book a truck for a van's load. It's the easiest way to overpay.
• Term. Monthly beats weekly beats daily, by a lot.
• Route. Not through the rate — through the fuel line, honestly.
• Notice. Same-day is usually fine. Same-hour, during Ramadan, is a different conversation.

Three questions worth asking any provider

These aren't rhetorical. Ask them, and compare the answers.

1. "Do you pre-cool before collection?" If the vehicle starts cooling on the way to you, your first pallet loads into a warm box. Listen for hesitation.

2. "Can I see the fuel receipts?" If fuel is bundled and unverifiable, you're paying an estimate that was never in your favour.

3. "Can I inspect a van before I book?" A company that won't show you the inside of the vehicle has told you why.

So what should you actually budget?

For a single restaurant running a morning produce route: a chiller van on monthly contract, AED 5,500 plus fuel — call it AED 6,500 all-in on a typical city circuit.

For a distributor running multi-drop retail: a 3.5-tonne chiller truck, AED 8,500 monthly plus fuel.

For bulk frozen import work out of Jebel Ali: the 7.5-tonne heavy-duty at AED 12,000 monthly, or per-trip pricing if it's occasional.

If your situation doesn't fit those, call 055 884 4722 and describe it. We'll tell you which vehicle you need — including when it's a smaller one than you asked for.