3 Tips for Delivering Temperature-Sensitive Goods

Managing the delivery of temperature-sensitive goods can be challenging for shippers, but not impossible. In this article, Millennium Logistics Management provides 3 significant tips for delivering temperature-sensitive goods effectively.

Today we have the advantage of using refrigerated shipping trailers which makes transporting temperature-sensitive goods manageable; from farm fresh produce to fresh flowers. Refrigerated trailers are efficient because they can either remove, pump heat or create a cool environment for products to be transported in.

These types of trailers are designed to maintain the pre-cooled cargo temperature and maintaining this temperature is necessary in order to not compromise the temperature-sensitive goods. Failure to maintain proper shipment temperature can lead to major consequences such as damaged or wasted products, which ultimately leads to profit loss.

Delivering time-sensitive goods requires collaboration from all involved parties (from the product to the seller). Let’s use flowers as an example; the logistics of transporting flowers is definitely not an easy process as it requires not only proper temperature controlled environment, but also requires thorough planning, coordination and an appropriate route selection.

Please consider the following 3 tips for effective delivery of temperature-sensitive goods:

• Visibility:

When it comes to temperature-sensitive goods, visibility can help a shipper know where the product is as it moves through transit, assuring them that the product is not being compromised. Also, a company is able to not only respond to disruptions quickly (if any) but also avoid them in the first place with the use of shipment visibility.

• Just-In-Time Inventory:

Just-in-time inventory (JIT) has many great benefits. With the use of JIT, companies can order your product as they need it, providing their customers with the best quality.

• Standard Transport Procedures:

What are your facility’s common practices? What is the schedule? How is freight handled? Communication is essential and can even reduce accessorial fees, product damage and backlogs therefore, be clear about standard transport procedures with the carriers.

Temperature-sensitive products (such as flowers) have a limited shelf life which makes delivering these products so challenging. There are so many factors to consider besides temperature, which includes route selection, on-time delivery, delays and/or any equipment malfunction (all of which are relevant to the successful delivery of such products). Ultimately we want to avoid anything that can harm, spoil or waste the transported product.

Applying the tips we suggested can contribute to your company’s success and make delivery of temperature-sensitive goods much more manageable. For more information or if you are interested in our transportation logistics services, please don’t hesitate to contact Millennium Logistics Management.