What do Reefer Carriers Transport?

72.5% of the United States domestic freight tonnage was transported by trucks in 2023. So, much of the weight of the country’s consumer market lies with transportation and distribution providers. Choosing the right transportation partner is vital to your goods, budget, and customer satisfaction in a challenging and competitive operating market.

Increasingly complex supply chains – higher customer expectations, increased online shopping, remote shipping, and more – mean a higher standard of care is required to ship goods so they arrive in optimal condition.

Perishable items, like food products or pharmaceuticals, often demand temperature-controlled environments to prevent spoilage or maintain quality. Fragile goods necessitate careful handling and specialized packaging to avoid damage during transit. Sensitive products may require protection against humidity, prompting the need for moisture-resistant packaging or controlled humidity conditions. Finally, compliance with regulations, particularly for consumable products, contributes to the need for tailored environments during shipping.

The transportation of perishable goods must meet food safety regulations and arrive in prime condition. Transportation by reefer (or refrigerated) trailers is required for this purpose. Temperature-controlled transportation prevent product damage and deterioration so goods arrive shelf-ready.

What are Reefer Carriers?

Refrigerated (reefer) carriers are specialized carriers designed to maintain specific temperature conditions for the goods they carry. These temperature-controlled trailers are equipped with cooling systems to maintain a specified environment, ensuring the integrity of temperature-sensitive products.

Unlike non-temperature-controlled transportation, reefer carriers are essential for transporting perishables and consumables that rely on a specific environment. Exposing these goods to unmonitored temperatures experienced in regular carriers risks damage and spoilage.

Temperature-controlled carriers transport various perishable goods, including confectionery, pharmaceuticals, snacks, beverages, and other temperature-sensitive items. The specialized nature of these carriers makes them invaluable in industries where precise temperature control is critical for the quality and safety of the products. Temperature-controlled carriers tend to operate in the 55 F to 75F range. Refrigerated – frozen carriers operate in the 36 F to -20 F range.

What to Look For in a Temperature-Controlled LTL Partner

When choosing a carrier for temperature-sensitive cargo, pay particular attention to the following areas:

• Proper Employee / Driver Training: Training employees and drivers to correctly handle consumable and perishable items is crucial in maintaining product integrity and compliance with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) sanitary food transportation standards.
• Facilities and Equipment: Ensure your transportation or 3PL provider moves your goods through temperature-controlled facilities so your cargo is protected at every stage of the shipping process. Regular maintenance of the equipment by the carrier is essential to minimize equipment failure.
• Experience: Experienced transportation partners can simplify your supply chain. Experience facilitates agile responses for difficult situations, effective supply chain management, and the reassurance that best practices are followed. Non-compliance can be an expensive lesson; an experienced provider makes sure that doesn’t happen.

Find the Ideal Shipping Partner in Colonial Cartage

Damaged products create financial losses, unhappy customers, and broken supply chains. Seasoned carriers have the expertise to transport temperature-sensitive goods with care and precision so they arrive in perfect condition.

Colonial Cartage is an experienced 3PL provider with a fleet of 200 state-of-the-art temperature-controlled trailers and 70 tractors. Our fleet has consistently achieved first-class, on-time performance, and we provide our customers with a friction-free transportation and distribution experience.