A Guide to Refrigerated Transportation Services

A Guide to Refrigerated Transportation Services

Sometimes, the services everyday people need the most are the ones they notice the least. That’s particularly true for goods requiring refrigerated transportation. Explore how we can help you transport your refrigerated products wherever you need them to go—whether it’s 10 miles away or 1,000 miles across the country.

How Does Refrigerated Transportation Work?

Explain refrigerated transportation, including the basics of temperature-controlled shipping. Discuss why refrigerated transport is crucial for preserving quality, safety, and shelf life of temperature-sensitive goods.

Equipment

Transporting goods that require refrigeration means using specialized equipment. At Mulder Brothers, we have the experience and access to equipment that simplifies the complex process of transporting goods that need constant refrigeration. Some of the equipment we provide includes:

• Refrigerated trailers and trucks: These specialized trailers have onboard cooling units to maintain lower set temperature ranges than the ambient temperature.

• Climate-controlled containers: These battery-operated containers keep products refrigerated to prevent spoilage in transit.

• Monitoring equipment: Most types of refrigerated trucking equipment have built-in monitoring devices like sensors and data loggers to monitor the internal temperature of the load in real time.

• Packaging materials: Some types of cargo need additional insulation to prevent their temperatures from fluctuating. Thermal packaging and foam boxes or cooler bags help with the regulation process.

Warehousing

Products that aren’t actively in transit still need to be refrigerated when they’re in warehouses before they reach their destination. These refrigerated warehouses and cold storage facilities protect products from rotting or exposure to pests like insects. Many have vapor absorption or compression systems to keep the products inside safe.

Depending on the warehouse, your products may also be stored within specified zones inside the warehouse depending on their specific refrigeration requirements.

Processes

To keep up with the FDA and other requirements, Mulder Brothers and other refrigerated transport services like ours have strict processes to protect your products.

For refrigerated LTL shipments, we can provide smaller refrigerated panel vans or box trucks, or we can combine your order with others on a refrigerated tractor-trailer for a more cost-effective method. While many shipping providers cannot offer this type of service, we specialize in it.

What Is Shipped with Refrigerated Transportation?

Food and Beverages

Many food products—including produce like fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms or fresh meat and seafood—need to be kept refrigerated. Doing so prevents spoilage or rotting and reduces the likelihood of foodborne illnesses.

Other products, such as tobacco and certain types of alcohol, also need to be protected from more extreme heat.

Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies

Certain types of medical supplies, medicines, and the majority of vaccines must be kept refrigerated before use to prevent spoilage. Refrigerated shipping keeps these products stable and safe during transportation so they can improve and save lives after delivery.

For example, insulin is less effective when it is shipped or stored at temperatures over 86º Fahrenheit. Other medications like eye drops to treat glaucoma or rescue inhalers for asthma must be kept at lower temperatures as well.

Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Lipsticks and certain types of cream concealers or eyeshadows can melt above certain temperatures. Similarly, perfumes can lose their distinctive scents with heat exposure. Many high-end makeup and fragrance brands use refrigerated trucking to maintain the quality of their products during shipping.

Electronics and Sensitive Equipment

In hot summer or warm-climate temperatures, some types of electronics can become damaged with enough heat exposure. This expensive equipment requires temperature regulation. Refrigerated trucking and warehousing can provide the safety that electronics need to function once your customers take them home.

Agricultural Products and Plants

This includes anything from lettuce and other leafy vegetables to most of the live Christmas trees sold in the United States each year. Refrigerated trucking keeps all types of plant products fresh during transportation and protects them from insects and other pests that could eat or destroy them.

How Mulder Brothers Can Help

As an industry leader in cold-chain and refrigerated transportation, Mulder Brothers provides warehousing and transportation for even the smallest refrigerated loads. We specialize in LTL trucking for standard, refrigerated, and frozen cargo. When you work with us, you can guarantee that we’ll streamline your refrigerated transportation and storage logistics for industry compliance, monitoring, and efficient delivery.

Talk to Our Team

Mulder Brothers has the logistics and cold-chain transportation capabilities to keep your products safe and cool. Request a quote from our team today to see how we can make the difference for your refrigerated transportation needs.