On the one hand, beverage shipping doesn’t appear to be as difficult as other types of freight because beverages usually come in containers. Some of those containers, such as cans, are extremely durable, which at least removes the issue of needing to treat the cargo as gently as some others, such as fruit, which are fragile and can visibly bruise easily.
However, just because beverage containers are more durable doesn’t mean that beverages themselves are indestructible and can be shipped with minimum care to arrive at their destination and are still suitable for sale. As with any type of cargo, beverages have unique needs, many of which can be addressed by shipping protection like a passive pallet cover or another cost-effective form of shipping protection.
Beverage Type Matters
Different beverages will have different properties and, thus, additional considerations that must be catered to for proper protection. Carbonated drinks in cans, for example, while durable, can’t be shaken too much as this causes a pressure build-up of gas inside. On the other hand, wine is more fragile because it is shipped in glass bottles and is also more sensitive to shifts in temperature.
This means that when shipping a beverage, the type of beverage will come with its own set of vulnerabilities that must be addressed. Failure to do so, such as not using passive pallet covers, can result in a product not being safe for consumption or sale by the time it arrives at a retail outlet.
Temperature Factors
It’s critical that beverages be shipped at optimal temperatures for several reasons. In the case of carbonated beverages, if the drinks are sent during the winter and freeze, carbonated fluids tend to explode at low temperatures. While it’s not necessarily a dangerous explosion that can cause harm, this does ruin the shipment.
Wine, on the other hand, has very specific temperature requirements. As with carbonated drinks, wine can’t be frozen, though this isn’t due to explosive risks. The glass bottles used for wine can potentially break as the liquid freezes and expands, which then causes leaks when the temperature rises. Additionally, if wine is left to sit at a warm temperature, this degrades the wine, causing a sour taste and making it unfit for sale.
Cost Effective Solutions With Passive Pallet Covers
Passive pallet covers are one way for shippers to protect their freight without spending a lot of money effectively. In a perfect world, the shipping of beverages would always be done with refrigerated containers or “reefers” to ensure maximum climate control.
However, even when this does happen, that doesn’t guarantee constant protection. Once the cargo is unloaded from a trailer and awaiting the next delivery phase, it may sit on the tarmac for plane transport, in a warehouse with no climate control, or even exposed to the elements, waiting for loading onto a train or truck. At this point, any careful protection the cargo enjoyed during the transportation is a waste during these transition periods.
Passive pallet covers provide that crucial extra protection during these periods, which is important in an industry climate when pandemic and even wartime considerations can sometimes disrupt shipping schedules.
