Most of the time when businesses look at the logistics of moving goods from one location to another, there are only two major factors to consider; the cost to ship the goods within a certain amount of time, and the cost to protect those goods so they don’t arrive broken. But for some cargo, there is a factor that overrides even the physical protection of the good themselves and that is maintaining an optimal temperature. But why?
Temperature Is A Catalyst
For some goods, such as pharmaceuticals, foods, beverages, and even electronics, the temperature can be a crucial factor, because it can cause a chemical reaction within these goods that further changes them beyond the ideal state they are already in.
Wine, for example, is extremely vulnerable to heat, and so an expensive vintage shipment can go from being a top-tier wine to useless, sour tasting liquid through just a few days of being kept too warm while being shipped. Electronics, on the other hand, have soldering that joins components together that can warp, or even dissolve under high temperatures, meaning that the valuable electronics could arrive at their destination no longer working, because certain components are no longer attached.
In the worst case scenarios, pharmaceuticals, medicine, and even blood plasma—all of which can be crucial to saving lives—may no longer be viable if kept too warm or cold for too long a period of time. This is why when shipping certain types of freight, it is essential that businesses take the time to protect them from long periods of temperature variance. If this is allowed to happen, the end result could be goods that no longer work as intended, incurring a loss for everyone. Always respect the temperature needs of your cargo if you want your investment to yield returns.
