Refrigerated shipping and transportation is also widely known as reefer shipping in the supply chain industry. These types of shipping containers are specialized in providing a temperature-controlled way to ship temperature-sensitive items. When you need to transport products that can easily be perishable, refrigerated shipping and transportation is the answer.
It’s important to understand how reefer shipping works and the many benefits that come with this mode of transportation.
What is Refrigerated Shipping?
As mentioned, refrigerated shipping is the ideal way of transporting specific freight that requires controlled temperatures. These shipping container trucks have a built-in refrigeration system in order to make climate control possible.
Refrigeration finally improved in the 1900s because of technology, which allowed for the effective transportation of perishable goods. Fresh produce, dairy, meat products, and pharmaceutics rely on refrigerated transportation every day to avoid deterioration and major losses.
Refrigerated shipments are typically for loads that would fill the full capacity of the truck. Avoid mixing different products because each container can only maintain the appropriate temperature and humidity for one type of given product.
How Does Refrigerated Shipping Work?
There are three components that make up the system in a refrigerated shipping and transportation trailer. These three non-interchangeable features work together to control the conditions demanded by shippers and clients.
- A compressor is powered by an engine to inject and essentially compress a gaseous refrigerant.
- To exchange heat and absorb liquid into the trailer walls there is a condenser.
- Lastly, there is the evaporator located inside the trailer with a valve that performs to control the amount of refrigerant emitted in the evaporator.
Prime Benefits: Enhanced Quality, Delivery, and Compliance
The quality of goods being transported through refrigerated shipping and transportation would be saved from compromise. Urgency is required in many cases when having to deliver certain foods or medical products. You get fresh food delivered to its destination without the loss of taste and appearance.
In addition, you can easily rely on refrigerated containers to provide security from extreme weather, such as heat waves from the sun or unpredictable thunderstorms. Many people assume reefers are for food, but these types of trucks can work great with other items such as flowers, plants, beauty cosmetics, or even antique art. Therefore, the lack of protection given by other modes of transportation impacts you in many different ways.
Maintenance of the vehicles is vital because the built-in refrigeration is still a system that can have issues at any time. Scheduled maintenance and periodic inspection can be the most reliable way to keep all aspects of refrigerated shipping in check.
Superior quality comes from good service that can only be provided by 3PL companies that can hire trustworthy refrigerated vehicles. The best carriers follow through on the responsibility of delivering with speed and under legal regulations. Technology allows you to track the delivery of the refrigerated shipment and have complete details in real-time.
Refrigerated shipping and transportation is an inevitable necessity rather than just convenience for several products. The benefits of refrigerated transport make logistics an overall highly developed operation in which time and safety is at the core.
