Heated Trucks: The Best Shipping Solution for Products that Require Delicate Temperature Control
Introduction
Maintaining the quality of commodities that require delicate temperature during shipping is critical in business. Such commodities include perishable foods, heat sensitive and cold sensitive commodities, and certain pharmaceuticals. Whether they are being shipped over long or short distances, these commodities require special care to ensure that they do not deteriorate in quality. Such special attention becomes even more necessary during times of extreme temperatures such as during the winter and summer months. In particular, the cold season can be hard on certain products during transit. It is not uncommon to find temperatures dropping below freezing point in certain areas during the coldest months of the year. As a result, some commodities may freeze and lose their quality when exposed to such extremely low temperatures. That’s why there is a need to use heated shipping trucks to preserve the commodities’ quality.
Some of the items that tend to be most affected by low temperatures include: Paints and primers Printer ink and toners Industrial chemicals Cosmetics products, especially those in liquid and gel form Consumable drinks such as juice Agricultural produce Pharmaceuticals Some electronics, e.g., phone batteries If you are shipping any of these or other products that tend to lose quality or freeze when exposed to low temperatures, you will benefit from using heater shipping trucks.
Table of Contents What are Heated Trucks? How do Heated Trucks Work? Why Should You Opt for Heated Trucks? Why Heated Trucks are the New Big Thing in Cross Border Shipping? How to Protect Commodities during Shipping? Tips for Reducing Shipping Costs. Final Thoughts.
What are Heated Trucks? Heated trucks are special trucks that are used to ship commodities which tend to deteriorate in quality when exposed to low temperatures. These commodities are mostly in liquid form, but some other items which may be affected by extremely low temperatures are also considered. The heated trucks have temperature controls that are set to warmer degrees than the atmosphere. The temperature set is determined by the type of goods being shipped and the temperature levels that are necessary to keep them in excellent condition throughout shipping.
The form of shipping which involves the use of heated trucks is referred to as heated transportation or shipping. Heated transportation is a little expensive when compared to regular shipping. That’s because the trucks have special features to ensure that the commodities aren’t affected by the environmental temperatures. While the cost is high, it is worth it as it ensures that goods don’t lose their quality during transit, and this saves businesses from incurring avoidable losses.
How do Heated Trucks Work? Heated trucks protect commodities by maintaining an even temperature throughout the shipping process. The trucks are equipped with temperature controls which help increase the temperature inside the truck. The trucks come with layers of insulation which are useful in making sure that temperatures remain constant at all times. The insulation on the walls of the trucks reduces the space available for shipping commodities, and this is means that less shipment is transported at a time. Additionally, items have to be packaged properly to prevent heat transfer among the packages. These are some of the reasons why heated transportation is more expensive than regular shipping solutions.
Why Should You Opt for Heated Trucks? Why should your business consider using heated trucks for shipping?
Heated shipping is an excellent way of maintaining the quality of commodities that are sensitive to temperature changes, particularly those that are affected by extremely low temperatures. In addition, heated trucks are excellent solutions due to the following: Goods are carefully packaged and insulated to prevent heat transfer. Heated trucks are given priority during shipping as the goods are temperature sensitive. This means that you don’t have to worry about transportation delays as the shipping company will be keen to maintain the integrity of the products while in their custody.
ďƒ˜ Businesses can reduce losses by utilizing heated trucks for specialty goods that require temperature control. If products go bad, your business can make huge losses, and these would not compare to the little extra money that you pay for specialized shipping. ďƒ˜ Heated transportation makes it possible for you to ship commodities during the coldest months of the year without worrying about the quality of the items.
Imagine shipping construction paints and primers only for them to freeze during transportation. You may not be able to restore them to the right state without compromised quality. If your business deals with commodities that require delicate temperature control, you should consider hiring a shipping company that offers heated transportation services.
Why Heated Trucks are the New Big Thing in Cross Border Shipping Shipping perishable and temperature-sensitive goods across countries has been a challenge for decades. Business people have to make sure that the commodities remain in excellent condition throughout the journey. They’d use items such as blankets and quilts to protect commodities from extreme temperatures. In most cases, shipping certain items during the winter was impossible as their state and quality would be compromised. However, heated trucks have come to save the day.
With these trucks, companies can ship even perishable and temperature-sensitive items without worrying about compromising their quality. As a result, heated trucks have quickly gained popularity in cross border shipping. Companies that offer cross border shipping services are not equipping their trucks with heat controls to cater to the needs of clients with specialty goods. While finding these trucks was hard in the past, they are readily available today, and this has made heated transportation even more affordable for businesses.
How to Protect Commodities during Shipping As a business owner, you have a duty to ensure that your specialty goods are protected during shipping. Your shipping company may not be liable for any losses incurred as a result of spoilage during transportation, especially if the damage is caused by temperature issues. That’s why you need to take the following measures to ensure that your commodities are safe and shipped under temperature-controlled conditions.
1. Choose the Right Shipping Company The first step is to choose a reliable shipping company that offers heated transportation services. It would be beneficial to go with a freight partner who has a track record of successfully shipping goods under controlled temperatures. If possible, get testimonials from previous business people who have used the company to ship goods that require delicate temperature control. Also, ask about the following issues: ďƒ˜ Security protocols in place to protect goods during transit ďƒ˜ Performance metrics such as claim rates, customer service practices, and on-time delivery ďƒ˜ Testing practices in place to ensure that shipping equipment work efficiently to protect commodities in transit.
Besides ensuring that your shipping company has the right trucks for the task, make sure that they are fast and reliable. This is particularly important for cross border shipping. The goods will be on the road for a long time, and the last thing you need is a slow and unreliable company. Get one that’s fast so that the goods can be delivered within the shortest time possible. 2. Learn the Rules Different products have varying temperature requirements as stipulated by the prevailing standards. Therefore, before shipping items, learn the rules. What are the minimum and maximum temperatures that the commodities can endure without quality issues? Once you learn this, talk to your shipping company so that you can discuss how these temperature requirements will be met and sustained while the goods are in transit.
3. Choose your packaging insulation properly The packaging insulation material is essential when shipping temperature-sensitive goods. The wrong packaging can promote heat transfer among the goods and affect their quality. Such problems are present even when using heated trucks. Therefore, get the right packaging and insulate it. Cardboard and Styrofoam boxes are excellent options for temperature-controlled shipping. Some of the best insulation options include expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam and rigid polyurethane foam. You can also use reflective materials as these also prevent heat transfer. Ensure that your goods are properly packaged and sealed before loading. 4. Ask for Temperature Monitoring When goods are being shipped over long distances, the unexpected may happen and your products may fall below the advised temperatures. You can avoid this by asking your company to provide temperature monitoring solutions. Some high-tech devices can be placed inside the shipment to monitor temperature around the clock. If adverse temperature changes occur during transportation, the shipping crew can intervene to protect the goods from losing their quality.
5. Prepare for Offloading The shipping company will be responsible for the commodities during transit. However, once the goods are delivered to your warehouse or dock, the responsibility passes over to you. Therefore, you have to take measures to ensure that the goods remain in controlled temperatures after offloading. Below are some steps you can follow to make this happen.
ďƒź Prepare a temperature: Regulated area in your warehouse or at the dock to store the commodities. Remember, the heated trucks are only designed to maintain temperatures at a certain level. They cannot heat the goods to prevent them from freezing after offloading. ďƒź Check the temperatures before offloading to make sure that they are right. Do not accept goods if they are not within the agreed temperature ranges. If you accept, the shipping company may deny liability.
Note that you can ask your shipping company to deliver your commodities at your business premises. The cost may be a little higher, but you will save yourself from incurring additional cost of transportation from the dock to your premises or warehouse. What’s more, you may not have access to heated trucks for transportation. However, ensure that you have the right storage solutions to protect the goods once they reach your premises. Also, offload the commodities quickly to protect them from prolonged exposure to unfavourable temperatures. 6. Have a Contingency Plan Finally, unexpected risks occur, and they can compromise your shipment. Have a contingency plan to prepare for the unexpected. Since the goods are usually in the shipping company’s care during transit, you may want to ask the company about the plans they have in place to handle unexpected problems. These include accidents, bad weather, equipment failure, delays, and many others. Ask the company about the measures that they have in place to recover freight during such unforeseen circumstances.
Tips for Reducing Shipping Costs As aforementioned, using heated trucks for shipping is more expensive than conventional shipping solutions. So is there a way to save money on the freight? The answer is yes, and here are some simple tips that you can follow to make this happen: Ship full container load: The costs of shipping are high, and if you have a few items, you may not be able to justify the cost. Therefore, strive to ship in FCL. If your goods can’t fill a container, look within your networks to see whether there is anyone shipping specialty goods and share the freight costs with them. Choose your shipping company properly: The right shipping company will charge reasonable freight costs and protect your commodities during transit. You will save much more in the long run by eliminating the risk of spoilage and damage during transit.
ďƒ˜ Package properly: Using packages that are correctly sized will ensure that you fit as many goods as possible in one truck, and this will save you from using up too extra space. Remember, heated trucks are insulated, and this reduces the space available for the goods. You should make maximum use of this space.
Final Thoughts Heated trucks are the new thing in the cross border shipping industry. These trucks are saving business people the resources and energy spent figuring out how to ship goods that require delicate temperature control across countries. With heated trucks, even temperatures are maintained inside the truck and the packages throughout the transport period. The commodities are delivered in excellent condition, and their shelf life is not affected by temperature variations. Road LINX is a top trucking and international shipping company that’s known to offer safe, costeffective and reliable transportation across the US and Canada along with other intermodal services. Because they hire the best drivers, brokers, and technicians, they are always confident that will deliver even the most difficult shipment. If you are looking for a shipping company that offers heated trucks, contact Road LINX today and enjoy the convenience of having your goods shipped without worrying about quality issues.
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