If your business involves shipping products that need to be kept at a specific temperature, you know how important it is to have a reliable temperature-controlled distribution service.

This blog post will help you understand the different types of services available and what might be the best fit for your needs. Keep in mind that not all services are created equal, so it’s essential to do your research and ask lots of questions before making a decision.

By understanding your options, you can ensure that your products get to their destination safely and on time.

The Different Types of Temperature-controlled Distribution Services

There are three main ways for shippers to ensure that their shipments maintain the appropriate temperature once they’re in transit.

• The most common way is renting a refrigerated vehicle from a third-party provider.
• The second option is to have your temperature-controlled vehicles, such as a large box truck or transit van.
• The third option is to use a common carrier to ship your products on pallets. While the last option is the least expensive, it may not be the most efficient or reliable way to ship your product.

However, more and more shippers are choosing to utilise a dedicated transportation service.

Depending on the type of business you run and your shipping needs, one of these services might be better for you than the other. If you ship perishable goods or products that need to be maintained at a specific temperature, hiring a third party to transport them is ideal.

This is an excellent option if most of your shipping needs are one-off, and you won’t have to repeat them often enough to justify spending the money on a dedicated truck or van. If you plan to hire a third party regularly and have a large shipment to make, this might not be the best option for you.

• First, consider that hiring a third party isn’t always cheaper than using a dedicated transportation service. It might not be cheaper if there is a high demand for refrigerated vehicles in your area.
• Additionally, the needs of your business might change over time, or you might expand in the future.

• Lastly, you might decide that you need your shipments to arrive as soon as possible, and hiring a third party might not be the best option.

How to Choose the Exemplary Service for Your Needs

After you’ve decided that a dedicated transportation service is right for your business, it’s time to start researching companies in your area to find the best fit for your needs.

Start by determining which services they offer and whether they meet your specific needs. For instance, some services may specialise in transporting certain types of products, such as perishable foods that require temperature control in vehicles utilising the latest climate control technology.

You’ll also want to determine if the company offers dedicated transportation or shared service, how large their fleet is and what kind of coverage they offer in their service areas. Ask the company about the types of products they ship regularly and how their experience in dealing with shipping and delivering these products to various locations across the country.

Ask what kinds of cases they can transport and how many they have for the products or products you’ll be shipping regularly. This will help you determine if you’ll be working with a company that has experience shipping similar items like yours.

Regarding pricing, you’ll also want to know that you’ll be working with a company with transparent rates and no hidden fees or surcharges. Most shippers use third-party rate calculators to help you determine rates and quotes based on distance, weight, and the availability of vehicles and drivers in the area you’d like to ship from and to.

Ask what the average turnaround time is for shipments and what the most common issues they run into with their fleets or carriers are. A reputable company will also have a driver dispatch system that will keep them informed of any issues affecting their delivery schedule so they can plan accordingly and update their customers on time.

For example, if there’s a weather-related delay that will affect driver arrival times, having a system in place to notify customers of these changes is imperative. Lastly, you’ll want to find out how experienced the company is at keeping in contact with customers throughout the delivery process, so they’re always aware of the status of their order and ETAs for its delivery, especially if it’s being shipped internationally.

Tips for Working With a Temperature-Controlled Distributor

Once you find a company that’s a good match for your needs and preferred method of transportation, you’ll want to work with them regularly to build a relationship based on trust and reliability.

Here are some tips for doing just that:

• Make sure your provider has experience with your product type.
• Make sure the provider you choose is FDA certified. This is important if you ship biological or food products requiring temperature control.
• Make sure the provider you choose is knowledgeable about your industry, including any requirements you may have for certain temperatures or shipping times.
• Ensure your chosen provider has transparent pricing with no hidden fees or surcharges. Extra customs duties and fees must also factor into your pricing plan if you’re shipping internationally.
• Make sure your chosen provider has large vehicles to accommodate your load size.

• Provide accurate information about the weight, dimensions, and type of product you’re shipping to help your carrier provide the most accurate quote possible.

How to Prepare Your Products for Shipping

Make sure you’re shipping the correct number and total weight of boxes or skids you have when you request a quote or estimate from your provider. If you’re over or under the required amount, it could cost you extra, or you may have to alter how you pack your items to fit within weight limits.

Ensure your boxes are properly sealed to prevent leakage or temperature fluctuations if they’re stored or shipped in the cold. This will save you money on wasted products and keep your products at their best quality.

Check that your products are adequately packaged to prevent breakage during transit and ensure they don’t become damaged if exposed to extreme temperature changes. This includes items like glass, plastic, or metal containers and products that must be frozen or chilled at all times.

To ensure your products arrive safely at their destination, you’ll want to ensure you properly pad boxes before wrapping them in bubble wrap or newspaper. This way, if a box falls off the pallet during transit, it won’t be damaged, and your products will remain safe inside the box.

Use pallets instead of standard shipping crates when possible, as this can help reduce damage during the delivery process and prevent your products from shifting around too much during transit.

To ensure your product is safe and protected during transit, check that your packages are properly sealed and packaged before loading them onto the truck or van.

You should also ensure that pallets are correctly stacked and secured to prevent shifting during transit. This is especially important if you’re shipping fragile items or products that are temperature-sensitive, as jostling around might cause damage to them or their packaging during transit.

Common Problems

If you had anything go wrong during the delivery process and your product or products suffered damage. As a result, you should first reach out to your shipper with your concerns and file a claim with insurance to pay for the damages.

Here are four examples of common issues with temperature-controlled transportation and how to resolve them.

1. If Your Products Are Damaged in Transit:

You must file a claim with the carrier if your products are damaged in transit.

However, there are some circumstances in which the carrier may be liable even if the damage was caused by poor packaging or inadequate handling by the shipper or receiver. For example, if perishable products arrive with temperature damage, the carrier may be liable even if the shipper followed proper procedures by packing and cooling the products.

2. If Your Cooling Mechanism Stops Working or Your Refrigeration Unit Breaks Down:

If something goes wrong with your temperature-controlled shipping service, you need a solution immediately to keep your products safe until they can be delivered to their destinations.

Ideally, you’ll have a plan in place before anything goes wrong. However, even if you have a plan in place, if something goes wrong with your cooling mechanism or your refrigeration unit breaks down, don’t panic.

Your priority should be getting your products to their destination as soon as possible. Next, you should work with your temperature-controlled shipping service partner to solve the problem as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Finally, you should work with your logistics service provider to help determine which products need immediate attention and which can be delayed until the system can be repaired or replaced.

3. If Your Products Arrive Too Early or Too Late:

If your products arrive too early or late, your business could suffer serious consequences.

For example, if you’re shipping perishable products that need to be kept at a specific temperature, failing to control the temperature could damage your products or make them unfit for consumption. On the other hand, if your customers receive your products late, they may miss out on the sale.

This may result in fewer customers in the future and higher shipping costs if customers refuse to wait for your products to arrive on the due date. That’s why it’s essential to find a reliable temperature-controlled distribution service that delivers your products on time and at the right temperature.

4. If Your Products Become Too Hot or Too Cold During Transit:

Unfortunately, many temperature-controlled distribution services suffer from poor reliability.

This can result in your shipments arriving too warm or cold to be usable or saleable. That’s why you need a temperature-controlled distribution service that keeps your products cool or warm throughout the process.

Temperature-controlled distribution services use GPS tracking to monitor and control the temperature of each shipment from pick-up to delivery. A temperature-controlled shipping service ensures that your products remain at the precise temperature required during shipping and arrive in perfect condition at your customers’ doorsteps.

Conclusion

Temperature-controlled distribution is vital for businesses that must keep their products safe during shipping.

By understanding the different types of temperature-controlled services and how to choose the right one, you can ensure your products arrive at their destination in perfect condition. We hope our tips have been helpful, and we invite you to contact us if you have any further questions.

Thank you for reading!