The transportation of frozen goods requires constant temperature control to maintain product quality and safety. While normal rail freight is often the preferred method for long-haul transportation, reefer intermodal offers a compelling alternative.
In this blog post will explore the Benefits Of shipping frozen goods by intermodal. And by highlighting its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental benefits. We will discuss how it can help you deliver your frozen worry free to your destination.
So, before the heat rises up. Let’s get frozen shipping!
What Are Intermodal Reefers?
Refrigerated containers, often referred to as reefer containers are essential for transporting goods that require precise temperature control throughout the shipping process. These specialized containers are equipped with a refrigeration unit that is powered by the rail’s electrical supply. This ensures that the internal temperature remains properly maintained, preventing spoilage or damage to temperature-sensitive products.
Reefer containers are widely used in industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. They are particularly crucial for transporting perishable items like fresh produce, meat, seafood, and dairy products. By maintaining optimal temperatures, reefer containers safeguard the quality and safety of these goods, ensuring they reach their destination in pristine condition.
Common Reefer Misconception
There’s a common misconception that frozen intermodal transportation is either unreliable or slow. However, this is far from the truth. In fact, frozen intermodal is one of the fastest-growing methods for transporting frozen or fresh products in Canada. To fully understand this process, it’s essential to grasp the key steps involved.
Basic Reefer Intermodal Types
When ordering a reefer container (one with adjustable temperature settings), it’s typically necessary to place the order a day in advance of the loading date. On the day of pickup, the drayage driver arrives at the terminal to collect the reefer unit from a storage area. Once the unit is loaded onto the drayage driver’s chassis, it’s fueled and turned on. It’s important to remember that if the pickup occurs on a warm summer day, the inside of the container might be quite hot at this point. As the driver leaves the terminal and heads to the pickup location, the unit begins to cool down. However, there’s a good chance that it hasn’t reached the desired temperature by the time it arrives at the shipping location. Additionally, when the rear doors are open for loading, the unit cannot continue to cool itself.
This is where things get interesting. There are three main types of shippers when it comes to temperature-controlled transportation:
- Load and Cool:
These shippers load fresh products into the container and expect the unit to cool the products to the desired temperature or even freeze them during transit.
- Load and Go:
These shippers load frozen products into the container and immediately send the carrier on their way, allowing the unit to cool down to the desired temperature while in transit back to the rail terminal.
- Wait for Temperature:
These shippers load frozen products into the container and make the driver wait on-site until the unit’s temperature gauges show the desired temperature before releasing the driver.
The first two types typically don’t incur any waiting time at the origin. However, the third type may experience regular waiting time as the driver waits for the unit to reach the desired temperature. Understanding the specific needs of shippers is crucial when determining frozen intermodal costs.
Another important factor to consider is that railways often require containers to be emptied and returned to the destination terminal within 24 hours of being unloaded from the train.
This means that deliveries on Saturdays or Sundays may be necessary to avoid detention charges.
For more information on frozen intermodal pricing and services, please contact Railgateway.
How Does Intermodal Reefers Work?
The refrigeration unit within a reefer container operates using a complex cooling system. It typically consists of a compressor to circulate a refrigerant through a series of coils. This process extracts heat from the container’s interior, lowering the temperature and maintaining it at the desired level.
The refrigeration unit’s control system monitors the temperature continuously. By adjusting the cooling capacity accordingly to compensate for external factors like ambient temperature and humidity, they keep the products fresh and good throughout the delivery.
Who Uses Intermodal Reefers?
We’ve talked about the origins and importance of refrigerated transportation. Now, let’s delve into real-world examples to understand how refrigerated freight impacts various industries, such as –
Example 1: A Seafood Restaurant Serving Fresh Ingredients
Foodservice distribution is a vital part of the global supply chain. Refrigerated transportation ensures the integrity and safety of ingredients, enabling restaurants to source fresh products from diverse locations.
Consider a seafood restaurant in a state that relies on a specialty seafood distributor. The distributor maintains relationships with fisheries across Canada, getting fresh seafood upon request.
Refrigerated freight is crucial for safely transporting these perishable items to the restaurant.
Example 2: Grocery Delivery Services
Grocery delivery services often rely on refrigerated transportation to deliver temperature-sensitive products directly to consumers’ homes. This ensures that perishable items like fresh produce, meat, and dairy products arrive in excellent condition.
Example 3: Local Pharmacies
The pharmaceutical industry also depends on refrigerated transportation. As many medications require specific temperature control to maintain their effectiveness. Local pharmacies often source these products from manufacturers or regional distributors using refrigerated freight.
Example 4: High-End Art Galleries
Even fine art can be considered a perishable good. Paintings and other artworks require a controlled environment to prevent damage. And refrigerated transportation, in this case, involves maintaining a specific temperature of typically around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, to protect these valuable pieces during transit.
All these examples above demonstrate the diverse applications of refrigerated freight, highlighting its importance in various industries.
From food and pharmaceuticals to fine art, refrigerated transportation plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and safety of products delivered throughout the supply chain.
Conclusion
Most of the food in your fridge or freezer was once on an intermodal reefer. As it was delivered from the place where it was made to the store near your home.
Your medicines and even the pictures on your walls might have been transported in a temperature-controlled container. The plants in your living room could have also been shipped in a refrigerated truck.
As the world becomes more connected and the medical industries continue to grow, the need for refrigerated transportation will also increase. Keeping things cold during shipping is important for making sure they are safe, good quality, and fresh.
And if you need intermodal reefers, Contact us! And we will help you keep your products cooled all the way!
Note – You can check this blog to level up your Refrigerated Shipping game to a whole new level.
