Cold chain in Mongolia is a harder problem than the phrase suggests. The cargo — meat from the aimags, dairy, fish, vaccines — moves across long distances between sparse towns, and the outside air does half the cooling for free in winter while fighting you in summer. The truck has to keep a steady box temperature on a multi-hundred-kilometre run, start reliably in extreme cold, and carry a useful payload without burning the whole margin on a heavy chassis. Two very different 22-tonne rigids answer that brief.

This article covers one scenario for Mongolia — cold chain and refrigerated transport — and two listed vehicles: the Auman MA5 6×2 and the Aumark EST-M 4×2. Both are 22-tonne refrigerated chassis, but they differ in drive layout, engine and emission badge. Every figure is from the published listings.

1. 198 PS vs 177 PS — two six-cylinder approaches

The MA5 (id 96) runs a Dongfeng Cummins ISD6.7, a 6,700 cc six rated at 198 PS with 970 Nm of torque. The EST-M (id 99) runs a Yuchai YC6A240-33, a 7,225 cc six at 177 PS with 900 Nm. Both are mid-displacement sixes suited to a 22-tonne rigid, and the numbers are close — the MA5 has the edge on both power and torque, the EST-M the slightly larger block. For a refrigerated truck the engine's other job is to drive the reefer through a PTO when the unit is engine-powered, so the extra torque on the MA5 is a small practical advantage on a hot day with a full box.

Both use a Fast eight-speed manual: the MA5 an 8JS118TC-B, the EST-M an 8JS105TA. Eight ratios is enough to keep either engine in its band without the cost of a twelve-speed AMT, and on a distribution truck that is the honest choice. The MA5 carries a 5.286 final drive; the EST-M a 4.875. The MA5's slightly steeper ratio suits the longer body and the occasional grade; the EST-M's is fine for flat regional work.

2. 6×2 vs 4×2 — the axle decision

This is the real difference between the two. The MA5 is a 6×2 — three axles, a 6.5-tonne front and a 13-tonne mid/rear group, on 11 wheels (11.00R20). The EST-M is a 4×2 — two axles, a 5.5-tonne front and a 10-tonne rear, on seven wheels (11R22.5). Both are rated 22,000 kg GVW, but the 6×2 spreads that weight over an extra axle, which on Mongolia's long runs and variable surfaces means better stability and a kinder load on the rear axle. The 4×2 is lighter, cheaper and tighter to manoeuvre in town. If your cold-chain work is mostly inter-city on the aimag routes, the 6×2 is the more capable chassis; if it is town and short regional, the 4×2 is enough.

Wheelbase tells the same story: the MA5 is 5,900 + 1,350 mm with an overall length of 11,590 mm and an extended cab; the EST-M is 5,750 mm on a 9,840 mm body with a half-bench cab. The MA5 is the longer, volume-oriented rig; the EST-M the shorter, driver-only unit.

3. Fuel, cab and the cold-start question

Fuel is a 260-litre tank on the MA5 and a 200-litre on the EST-M — both enough for a day, though on a long aimag run the MA5's extra 60 litres buys margin. Both cabs are flat-roof; the MA5 is an extended cab (room for a relief driver), the EST-M a half-bench two-seater. Both are Left-Hand Drive, which matches Mongolian traffic, so no conversion or registration fight.

One thing the listings do not state, and you should ask about: cold-start provision. Mongolia's winter is extreme, and a reefer truck that will not start at −30 °C is useless. Neither sheet lists a block heater, pre-heat or winter-package option, so confirm with the supplier whether one is available or fitted before you commit — we will not assume it. The same caution applies to the insulated body and the reefer unit itself, which are bodybuilder items on both chassis.

4. The emission badge — Euro IV vs Euro II

The MA5 is listed Euro IV; the EST-M is listed Euro II. We do not state Mongolia's current import threshold for diesel trucks — that changes and we will not guess at it — but the two badges are different, and Euro II is the lower one. If your permit names a minimum standard (Euro III, Euro IV or higher), the EST-M's Euro II line can stall registration while the MA5's Euro IV is the safer baseline. Put the question to your clearing agent in writing and match it to the unit before deposit.

Cargo Truck · Mongolia

Auman MA5 6×2 — 22 T refrigerated, 198 PS

Dongfeng Cummins ISD6.7, 6,700 cc · 198 PS · 970 Nm · Fast 8JS118TC-B 8-speed · final drive 5.286 · GVW 22,000 kg · 6.5 t front / 13 t rear · Euro IV · LHD

Listed at $34,300 · Fresh food & warehouse refrigerated transport

View full specification →

Cargo Truck · Mongolia

Aumark EST-M 4×2 — 22 T refrigerated, 177 PS

Yuchai YC6A240-33, 7,225 cc · 177 PS · 900 Nm · Fast 8JS105TA 8-speed · final drive 4.875 · GVW 22,000 kg · 5.5 t front / 10 t rear · Euro II · LHD

Listed at $23,750 · Fresh food & refrigerated transport

View full specification →

5. Side-by-side: which refrigerated chassis for Mongolia

Axle-load law and the road reality in Mongolia

Mongolia follows the post-Soviet weight standard — a single-axle limit around 11.5 t, a tandem limit up to 24 t and gross combination weight near 44 t — enforced by the Road Transport Agency. Landlocked Mongolia hauls coal and copper over the steppe from Tianjin. The practical catch is that the steppe distances and the extreme winters punish a cheaply specified cooling and fuel system. The core business is coal, copper and mining freight, and a truck that is over on any axle is held at the weighbridge until the excess is shed.

For a reefer the weight discipline matters doubly, because a refrigerated body and the diesel for the unit eat into the legal payload before the first carton goes on, and a breakdown mid-run is spoilage, not just downtime.

What Mongolian fleets already run

In Mongolia the fleet is a mix of Russian KamAZ and MAZ, reconditioned European trucks (MAN, Scania, Volvo), and the newer Chinese entrants — Sinotruk, Shacman and Foton — that are winning share on price and a clean bill of health. The Russian and European stock wins on familiarity and parts but loses on age and the rebuild cost that lands within a couple of years. The new Chinese truck wins on warranty, and in a market where a breakdown on a remote corridor is expensive, a fresh truck is often the cheaper bet. Foton’s pitch is that middle ground.

6. Pre-order checklist for Mongolia

Confirm the emission permit. The MA5 is Euro IV, the EST-M Euro II — match the required standard to your import permit before deposit; Euro II may not clear.

Ask about cold-start provision. Neither sheet lists a block heater or winter package — confirm availability for Mongolian winters before order.

Pick the drive layout. 6×2 (MA5) for long aimag runs and stability; 4×2 (EST-M) for town and short regional at lower cost.

Specify the reefer body and unit. Both are chassis/cargo trucks; agree the insulated body, height, volume and cooling unit separately in writing.

Verify Left-Hand Drive. Both are LHD to match Mongolia — confirm on the VIN.

The MA5 and the EST-M are two answers to one Mongolian problem — moving 22 tonnes of cold goods across long, cold distances — at different drive layouts, engine sizes and emission badges. Prices shown are published listing figures and a starting point for enquiry, not a landed cost — freight, duties, the reefer body and the cooling unit sit on top. Resolve the emission and cold-start lines first, then pick the chassis that matches your routes.