Tips for Shipping Temperature Controlled Goods

When it comes to shipping temperature sensitive cargo such as food and medicine, there can be absolutely NO room for error that could risk spoiling perishables and dismantling the entire supply chain your customers depend upon for fast, reliable shipping.

It’s important to consider expertise, equipment, strategy and technology when shipping perishables. If you’re interested in how to ship with a 3PL company, this can be a good route to take since they can offer everything, from professionals carefully handling the cargo to the availability of equipment all in one place. But, it’s also important to be well informed on how to choose a 3PL for climate control. These tips can help you make the right choice!

 Variety & Expertise

If you’ve got a diverse range of products to ship at once that may require different climates to stay pristine, look for a company that offers a variety of temperature control methods to ship so that all of the demands and requirements of your products are met. That way, you save time and money since you don’t have to use equipment from multiple companies, and an expert 3PL team should be well versed in the handling of climate controlled cargo, so you can expect deliveries to arrive on time and in excellent condition.

 Technologically Savvy

 It’s already stressful enough worrying about a climate controlled shipment, biting nails until the delivery has been confirmed and the products are in perfect condition. There is much trust involved when choosing a 3PL team to handle your goods, and that trust is also put into the technology used to monitor shipments. Make sure a logistics company is reputable, keeps up with training and utilizes shipment management technology. This can include instant delivery notifications software and real-time truck temperature updates.

Driver Safety

Are the company’s truck drivers Hazmat certified? Do they partake in safety courses or driver training? How is their track record? These are important questions to ask when dealing with temperature sensitive cargo. Drivers should be experienced with handling these types of perishables, and communication should be extremely clear to avoid problems- always stress the exact temperature you need, adding whether or not it can fluctuate or not (some products need a specific temperature that cannot budge).