Frozen Logistics Solutions

To meet the needs of growing and diverse markets, storage and warehousing solutions for the cold chain include short-term storage and seasonal warehousing. Storing products in temperature-controlled conditions requires a lot of energy and management. The goods need access to stable temperatures, so freezers, refrigerated storage, and temperature sensors must be failure-proof. Once goods are exposed to temperatures outside of safe-handling conditions, the goods are spoiled and cannot be safely sold.

To address our customers’ warehousing needs, Mulder Brothers Brokerage has partnered with Cold-Link Logistics in Holland, MI, Fort Wayne, IN, Orlando, FL, and Providence, RI. Opening a 150,000-square-foot Michigan facility in mid April of 2022, this trusted and experienced third-party logistics and cold storage company is 100% freezer capable.

Their state-of-the-art storage center includes:

• Freezer or chilled storage options
• 38 truck staging positions
• 25 dock doors
• 12,000+ pallet positions to provide optimal capacity

Cold-Link Logistics Holland will handle both short- and long-term warehousing for temperature-controlled storage. This partnership is just another example of a Mulder Brothers Brokerage-verified link in the cold chain for continued innovation and coverage nationwide.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 50% of vaccines go to waste each year around the world, in part due to suboptimal temperature conditions in transport or storage. With food, while produce may bruise or have a shorter shelf life, dairy and meat products become dangerous to consume after exposure to unsafe temperatures for too long. The same is true for pharmaceutical products.

Ideal temperatures vary across different types of goods. Five of the most widely used temperature standards include:

• Banana: 54° F to 57° F
• Frozen: -4° F to 14° F
• Pharmaceutical: 36° F to 46° F
• Deep freeze: -22° F to -13° F
• Chill: 36° F to 39° F

It should be noted that because pharmaceutical freight is regulated by the FDA and Department of Transportation, there are certain limitations regarding including pharmaceutical products with LTL shipments. Contact our team for more information and discuss your specific needs.

To maintain the appropriate temperature, carriers can use passive temperature regulation, such as insulated packaging, or active regulation, like packaging that produces the internal temperature itself and preserves it through battery power. Within the interior of truck trailers, carriers often utilize a diesel engine-powered cooling system that carries refrigerant from an evaporator in the cargo hold through to a condenser at the trailer’s front. Other technologies available for the cold chain include reefers, dry ice, gel packs, and liquid nitrogen quilts.

Beyond cooling systems, it’s vitally important for service providers to monitor temperatures and provide a record of logged data as traceable proof that temperatures remained steady from the point of origin to the final destination. Service providers need monitoring systems in place that allow for real-time temperature tracking and GPS monitoring to achieve successful frozen logistics management.