Considerations When Choosing Climate Controlled Freight Transport

Posted on: 2 August 2021

Climate control is an essential consideration in any logistics process. Some goods hauled by freight ships, trains, and trucks are sensitive to climate conditions. Owners of such items require their value to remain the same, even as the carrier crosses different climatic zones from one dock to another. Most logistics companies have advanced methods of maintaining climate conditions for their customers' freight to prevent damages. Here are some tips to consider when using climate-controlled freight transport.

Product Freshness

The global nature of modern supply chains puts pressure on most suppliers to maintain the freshness of goods, regardless of their country of origin. Suppliers ship foods, pharmaceuticals, and other perishable items worldwide every day. Transporters should handle these goods with expertise. For example, they should know the temperatures at which to transport each product and how they can avoid product contamination during shipping. Therefore, you must choose the freight plan that ensures your goods arrive fresh.

Cost

One of the main factors that cause an increase in transport costs is the mode of transport. Airfreight is significantly more expensive than sea freight for the same volume of goods. However, air transport is essential in ensuring that goods get to their destination in time to prevent damages. Most suppliers choose air transport for their perishable goods. However, one can minimize the cost of transportation by choosing slower means that have climate-controlled freight transport services. For example, suppliers can order pharmaceuticals anywhere in the world and select ship transport with climate control. Therefore, climate control reduces the cost incurred when transporting non-urgent perishable goods.

Packaging

Even though refrigerated trucks and other forms of climate-controlled freight transport provide an enclosed feature to regulate temperature, the packaging is equally important in this process. Suppliers should package their goods using methods that prevent heat loss through the packaging container walls. Some items require packaging with dry ice and gel coolants. Frozen items also require cellulose wadding and pads at the bottom of the package to absorb any fluids. Dry ice in climate-controlled freight transport is dangerous when using air transport and requires special handling. The choice of a packaging method also depends on cost and weight. For example, wet ice is heavy, and some gel coolants are expensive. Therefore, one should take advice from the logistics company about the ideal packaging method for one's cargo.

Climate-controlled freight transport allows businesses to deliver fresh products to their various markets. Product freshness, costs, and packing are all critical considerations to make when using climate-controlled freight transport. For more information, contact a local transportation business, such as Select One Inc., to learn more.

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