When the items you’re shipping are perishable, but you don’t have enough to fill a full truckload (FTL), you’ll need to find a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier that offers temperature-controlled shipping. While temperature-controlled shipping is more commonly done as FTL, in times of tight trucking capacity, you can find plenty of LTL carriers that offer these services.
Temperature-controlled shipping is exactly what it sounds like. During the shipping process, the temperature of the goods being shipped is kept consistent in order to prevent spoilage due to overheating or, in some cases, getting too cold and freezing. For LTL carriers, who don’t just carry a single customer’s shipment from one location to another, this generally involves controlling temperatures not only in their trucks, but in warehouses and consolidation centers as well.
Managing temperatures in multiple locations isn’t the only challenge to shipping perishable goods via LTL. Because there are individual shipments from multiple customers on each truck, the shipments all need to be matched with shipments from other customers with similar temperature requirements.
Broadly, there are two categories that different means of controlling temperatures during the shipping process fall into: passive and active.
Passive temperature control is meant simply to maintain a certain temperature. It cannot change the temperature of freight during shipping. This can be done both with packaging as well as with an entire trailer.
Materials such as styrofoam are frequently used for packaging to prevent products from heating up. Often used in conjunction with this packaging are dry ice or frozen gel packs similar to the ones many people keep in their freezers. These both allow the inside of the packaging to remain cold or even freezing through the shipping process.
An entire trailer may also be well insulated, keeping all of the freight inside from either freezing or overheating, both of which can lead to spoilage. This reduces the need for insulated packaging, which is generally not environmentally friendly.
Active temperature regulation is able to maintain and change the temperature of goods during shipping. Refrigerated trucks, often referred to as reefers, have double-walled insulation and mechanical refrigeration systems that keep their freight within a required temperature range.
Fresh produce needs to be kept cool in order to avoid ripening too quickly, wilting, or outright spoiling. This is essential to keep supermarkets stocked and feed the country. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, the USDA reported that over 9 million tons of fresh produce were shipped by truck in the U.S. Other foods, such as frozen meat, seafood, and other products, also need to be kept cold during shipping to keep from spoiling.
Another essential category that needs careful temperature regulation throughout the shipping process is pharmaceuticals. Medications, vaccines, and other pharmaceutical products are strictly regulated by governments and must be kept within specific temperature ranges, sometimes even well below freezing, to be safe and effective.
The last of the major categories isn’t quite as essential, but can certainly brighten someone’s day: many plants and fresh flowers need to be kept at around 35 degrees Fahrenheit to arrive at their destination in good shape.
When you’re looking for an LTL carrier that offers temperature-controlled shipping, it’s worthwhile to ask if they specialize in a particular category, as it will be easier to match your cargo with other similar items. Because shipping perishable items is especially time-sensitive, carriers should also have consistent, regular schedules and a good record of on-time delivery.
When the items you’re shipping are perishable, but you don’t have enough to fill a full truckload (FTL), you’ll need to find a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier that offers temperature-controlled shipping. While temperature-controlled shipping is more commonly done as FTL, in times of tight trucking capacity, you can find plenty of LTL carriers that offer these services.
Temperature-controlled shipping is exactly what it sounds like. During the shipping process, the temperature of the goods being shipped is kept consistent in order to prevent spoilage due to overheating or, in some cases, getting too cold and freezing. For LTL carriers, who don’t just carry a single customer’s shipment from one location to another, this generally involves controlling temperatures not only in their trucks, but in warehouses and consolidation centers as well.
Managing temperatures in multiple locations isn’t the only challenge to shipping perishable goods via LTL. Because there are individual shipments from multiple customers on each truck, the shipments all need to be matched with shipments from other customers with similar temperature requirements.
Broadly, there are two categories that different means of controlling temperatures during the shipping process fall into: passive and active.
Passive temperature control is meant simply to maintain a certain temperature. It cannot change the temperature of freight during shipping. This can be done both with packaging as well as with an entire trailer.
Materials such as styrofoam are frequently used for packaging to prevent products from heating up. Often used in conjunction with this packaging are dry ice or frozen gel packs similar to the ones many people keep in their freezers. These both allow the inside of the packaging to remain cold or even freezing through the shipping process.
An entire trailer may also be well insulated, keeping all of the freight inside from either freezing or overheating, both of which can lead to spoilage. This reduces the need for insulated packaging, which is generally not environmentally friendly.
Active temperature regulation is able to maintain and change the temperature of goods during shipping. Refrigerated trucks, often referred to as reefers, have double-walled insulation and mechanical refrigeration systems that keep their freight within a required temperature range.
Fresh produce needs to be kept cool in order to avoid ripening too quickly, wilting, or outright spoiling. This is essential to keep supermarkets stocked and feed the country. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, the USDA reported that over 9 million tons of fresh produce were shipped by truck in the U.S. Other foods, such as frozen meat, seafood, and other products, also need to be kept cold during shipping to keep from spoiling.
Another essential category that needs careful temperature regulation throughout the shipping process is pharmaceuticals. Medications, vaccines, and other pharmaceutical products are strictly regulated by governments and must be kept within specific temperature ranges, sometimes even well below freezing, to be safe and effective.
The last of the major categories isn’t quite as essential, but can certainly brighten someone’s day: many plants and fresh flowers need to be kept at around 35 degrees Fahrenheit to arrive at their destination in good shape.
When you’re looking for an LTL carrier that offers temperature-controlled shipping, it’s worthwhile to ask if they specialize in a particular category, as it will be easier to match your cargo with other similar items. Because shipping perishable items is especially time-sensitive, carriers should also have consistent, regular schedules and a good record of on-time delivery.
Liftgate Maximums
Average Limits Across Carriers
Maximum Length
66.5"
Maximum Width
65.5"
Maximum Height
79"
Maximum Weight
2,750 lb
