Cold Chain & Temperature-Controlled Freight
The cold chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Fresh food, pharmaceuticals and flowers need controlled temperature from the moment they’re loaded to the moment they’re delivered — one gap and the cargo is lost.
Get matched to cold chain & temperature-controlled freight forwarders →Keeping the chain unbroken
Temperature-controlled freight moves in reefer containers (sea), temperature-controlled ULDs or cool rooms (air), and refrigerated trucks (road). The hand-offs between them are where most failures happen, so continuity and monitoring matter more than any single leg.
Set and declare the required range — chilled, frozen or controlled ambient — plus any monitoring or logging you need for compliance.
Food vs pharma cold chain
Food cold chain is about freshness and food-safety standards; pharma cold chain adds GDP compliance and tighter tolerances. Both reward forwarders who run the lane regularly and can prove their temperature handling.
Cold-chain shipments also carry a meaningful carbon cost from powered equipment — worth estimating with the CO₂ calculator when comparing modes.
FAQs
What cargo needs a cold chain?
Anything temperature-sensitive: chilled and frozen food, pharmaceuticals and vaccines, fresh flowers, and certain chemicals that must stay within a defined range from origin to destination.
How is the cold chain kept unbroken across modes?
With matched reefer equipment at each leg (sea reefer, air cool rooms, refrigerated trucks), continuous temperature monitoring, and careful planning of the hand-offs where breaks most often occur.