The freezing weather is here, with parts of the US experiencing below zero temperatures. In fact, in the freight industry, the end of October through April is considered protect from freeze season.
Detrimental conditions can wreak havoc on freight, with a carrier’s trailer reaching temperatures as low as –10°C, which can cause damage to food, pharmaceuticals, chemical products and more.
Let’s take, for example, the flu season that’s upon us. The influenza vaccine must be transported and stored at a temperature range of 35° to 46°F. When exposed to temperature conditions above or below this range, the vaccine losses its potency and becomes ineffective. Transporting such product numerous miles in 10°C freezing weather can be more detrimental than if exposed to heat, leading to a loss in potency or increased sensitivity, ultimately resulting in widespread recalls, health concerns, thousands/millions of dollars worth in losses, as well as a hit to the brand name and reputation.
Not only are pharmaceuticals at risk when temperature conditions change but food, chemicals, and even blood.
Let’s look at the American Red Cross. The organization distributes over 13.6 million units a year of products that are very temperature sensitive. While some products, such as red blood cells, need to be frozen, platelets must maintain a strict room temperature of 20° to 24°C. With someone needing blood every 2 seconds, improper transporting conditions cannot be taken lightly.
There is no doubt that the blistering cold winter conditions have many shippers worrying about the safety of their products. In fact, more and more shippers are making protect from freezing a high priority when choosing a trucking company, a task that carriers find harder to do than keeping the product frozen or refrigerated.
Carriers and shippers understand the risks of temperature control shipments, which is why many of them have incorporated into their company policies statements omitting them of liability for temperature damage.
The advances in cold chain technology have created a readily discernible divide between those carriers that have the ability to provide full process control of the cold chain and those that operate in a higher-risk environment.
Companies such as Road Scholar Transport operate at the leading edge of these technologies, incorporating a steady stream of new tools and capabilities to add security to all aspects of refrigerated transport.
Here’s how Road Scholar Transport can help:
· We do NOT use blankets to sustain temperature conditions. Our trailers can be set as low as -22°F to as high as 89°F, providing protect from freezing, frozen, refrigerated, and heated service.
· Our reefers are imbedded with technology that tracks the temperature within and alerts our team in the event of a temperature fluctuation so that we can rectify the situation prior to the product losing its integrity.
· Unlike many of our regional competitors who will not pick up protect from freezing shipments on a Friday because they do not want to be responsible for protecting it throughout the weekend, we have a protect from freezing policy that allows us to pick up and deliver five days a week.
· We provide expedited service for those shipments that need to be there FAST.
· We provide our customers with the tools to track their shipment live throughout the entire transportation process and can provide a complete record of the temperature within the trailer at any given time, even months after delivery.
To learn more, visit our temperature control page.
