Refrigerated work is the least forgiving job in road haulage. Your customer measures you on temperature at the door, not on horsepower, and the body you build is worth more than the badge on the grille. But the chassis underneath still decides whether the truck arrives, whether the insulation survives the road, and whether a driver can hold schedule with a compressor running. The Foton Auman MA5 6X2 Cargo truck 22 tons is listed for exactly this kind of work — warehouse, refrigerated and fresh food transport — and it is a 6x2, which is the first interesting decision on the page.

Why 6x2 rather than 4x2 at 22 tonnes

At 22,000 kg GVW this MA5 spreads the load over a 6.5-tonne front axle and a 13-tonne rear axle group riding on eleven tyres. That keeps each axle comfortably inside its rating even when the load is not perfectly distributed — and with a long box body, imperfect distribution is the normal condition rather than the exception. The trade-off is honest: more tyres to buy, slightly more running weight than a 4x2, and a longer vehicle.

Overall chassis dimensions are 11,590 × 2,495 × 2,810 mm on a 5,900 + 1,350 mm wheelbase, with a body width of 2,200 mm and a flat roof. The specification lists cargo box internal dimensions as blank, so the body is built to your requirement rather than fixed by the factory. If you regularly run near full rating, or if you face axle-weight checks on your routes, the 6x2 layout is worth the extra rubber.

Driveline: 970 Nm behind a 5.286 ratio

The engine is the Dongfeng Cummins ISDe270 40, a 6.7-litre diesel rated at 198 hp with 970 Nm of torque, meeting Euro IV through SCR. It drives a Fast 8JS118TC-B 8-speed gearbox to a 5.286 drive axle ratio. One caution: the product copy describes the output as 198 kW while the specification table shows 198 hp — confirm the rating on the unit you are quoted before you build a business case on it.

The 5.286 ratio is a short, torque-multiplying number, and paired with 970 Nm it tells you this chassis is set up to move weight rather than to cruise. For a refrigerated body that is largely the right answer: an insulated box with a compressor hanging off it is heavy before you load a single pallet, and you want the driveline to have margin. The transmission option list includes a PTO, which is what lets you drive a refrigeration compressor mechanically from the engine rather than carrying a separate genset.

"An insulated box is heavy before you load anything. Buy the torque margin first and let the fuel bill follow."

Building it as a reefer

Because the base specification does not fix a body, an insulated refrigerated box can be built to your requirement on this 11,590 mm chassis. The decisions you need to hand your bodybuilder are specific: the temperature range you must hold, the door configuration your customers' docks demand, and whether the refrigeration unit runs off an engine PTO or its own diesel genset. That last choice changes the whole-life cost picture more than any other single item.

An engine-driven PTO is cheaper to buy and lighter, and it needs the PTO option specified on the gearbox at build time — it is not a casual retrofit. A separate genset costs more and adds weight but decouples refrigeration from the tractor, which some operators prefer for multi-drop work where the engine stops frequently. Ask your dealer to quote both, including insulation thickness and floor specification, before you decide.

Brakes, tyres, frame and ride

Brakes are air-operated, drums front and rear, with ABS. For fresh food transport that matters more than usual: a load of produce that arrives bruised is a rejected load, and ABS plus a stable chassis is a large part of preventing it. Suspension is leaf spring, 10 blades front and 12 rear, on a 286 mm frame section — a deep, stiff frame appropriate to a 22-tonne chassis carrying a long box.

Standard tyres are 11.00R20 bias ply with inner tubes, eleven of them. The option list is where most fleets should look: tubeless 11R22.5, 10R22.5 or metric 295/80R22.5. Tubeless sizes run cooler, are lighter and are easier to repair, and for a refrigerated truck running long hours on hot roads that is worth specifying. Bias ply tube-type tyres persist because they are cheap and widely stocked in some markets — choose on local supply as much as on preference.

The rear axle option list also includes front and rear drum brake specifications with self-adjusting arms, in both basic and small speed ratio forms. Self-adjusting arms remove a routine adjustment task from your workshop and keep brake performance consistent between services, which on a fleet of reefers running daily is worth asking about.

Cab, comfort and the extended cab question

The cab is an extended cab seating two, with left-hand drive as the listed configuration. Standard equipment includes manual air conditioning, an MP3 system, and a body combination of central locking, power windows and power rearview mirrors — a better base than many trucks in this class. Options include electric air conditioning, MP5, and MP5 with a multifunctional steering wheel.

Electric air conditioning is worth specifying if your drivers spend long shifts in a hot climate, and it also reduces the load on the driver compared with manual control during multi-drop work. An extended cab with two seats means there is room behind the seats for kit and documents but not a full berth — if your operation involves overnight work with the driver sleeping in the cab, confirm what the extended cab actually provides before ordering. There are also body combinations matched to a 2,600 mm wide cargo box, which is worth knowing if you need extra internal width.

"Central locking, power windows and power mirrors as standard sounds small until you are specifying twenty trucks and every option is a line item."

Markets, paperwork and price

The sales country listed is Vietnam, with coverage across the Philippines, Honduras, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Peru, Nicaragua, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Jamaica and Vietnam. Euro IV by SCR is the emission route, and the unit is listed with a foreign tachograph and an air deflector. If your market enforces a different emission level, settle that before ordering rather than at the port — an SCR vehicle also needs low-sulphur diesel and regular DEF top-ups to stay reliable.

The listed price is $34,300. On a truck where the body is built separately, that figure is the chassis and cab, and the refrigerated box, insulation, floor and refrigeration unit are additional. Ask for a single landed number including the body to your specification, along with shipping, insurance, duty and homologation, because the chassis price alone will understate what you spend by a wide margin.

How we would specify it

• Order the PTO if the refrigeration unit is engine-driven — it is a build option, not a later addition.
• Specify tubeless tyres in the size your market stocks, rather than the standard 11.00R20 tube type.
• Ask for self-adjusting brake arms to cut routine workshop adjustment across the fleet.
• Confirm the engine rating on the unit quoted, given the kW/hp discrepancy in the listing copy.
• Get one landed figure including body, insulation, refrigeration unit and homologation.

For warehouse, refrigerated and fresh food transport at 22 tonnes, a 6x2 with 970 Nm, a 5.286 ratio and an ABS air brake system is a sound starting point. The Auman MA5 22-tonne page is where you settle the body build and the options list.

Questions buyers ask before signing

Can this MA5 be built as a reefer truck?

The MA5 chassis is 11,590 × 2,495 × 2,810 mm with a 5,900 + 1,350 mm wheelbase, and the base specification does not fix a body, so an insulated refrigerated box can be built to your requirement. Tell the dealer the temperature range, door configuration and whether the refrigeration unit runs off an engine PTO or its own diesel genset, and have them quote the full build including insulation thickness and floor specification.

Why pick 6x2 over 4x2 at 22 tonnes?

At 22,000 kg GVW this MA5 spreads the load over a 6.5-tonne front axle and a 13-tonne rear axle group on eleven tyres, which keeps each axle comfortably inside its rating even when the load is not perfectly distributed — and that matters with a long box body. The trade-off is extra tyres and slightly more running weight than a 4x2, worthwhile if you regularly run near full rating or face axle-weight checks.

Is 198 hp enough once the box is fitted?

The Dongfeng Cummins ISDe270 40 is rated at 198 hp with 970 Nm, driving an 8-speed Fast 8JS118TC-B and a 5.286 axle ratio, with a 260-litre tank. That driveline will move 22 tonnes, but a heavy insulated body eats into the margin, so expect to use the gears on gradients. If your route is flat it is fine; if you run loaded on rolling terrain, ask the dealer about higher-output engine options for this platform.