If your products are temperature-sensitive, you should always be ready to invest in good cold-chain packaging. The best type of shipping for such products is the use of a reefer unit or some other type of cargo container with an active temperature control system. This way, you can set the temperature to the optimal level for your product and, in some instances, even monitor the temperature during transit.
However, just because you are doing the prudent thing and using a reefer unit, that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from additional protection from your cold chain packaging, and that is where thermal pallet covers can be an important form of secondary protection for your products.
Reefer Units Aren’t Always A Given
Even when you have worked with a reliable service provider to ship your products in a reefer unit, this in no way guarantees active temperature control at every step of cold chain logistics. Fortunately, it does mean that active temperature control systems will be at play for the majority of the journey, such as when the products are shipped on a plane, train, or even cargo ship.
Unfortunately, there are periods of transference when products must be moved from one vehicle or stage to the next. Once a plane has landed, for example, cargo must be unloaded, then it must eventually be reloaded onto another vehicle for the next link in the cold chain. If all goes well, this is a comparatively short period of time.
However, this is also the vulnerable period when cargo is left exposed to the elements. A chilled product, such as chocolate or pharmaceuticals, can quickly heat up when exposed to radiant thermal sources, such as the sun or even a sun-baked runway tarmac surface.
Thermal pallet covers provide a barrier of both physical and vapor insulation against outdoor temperatures. This means that regardless of whether a product is supposed to remain cool or warm, once its optimal shipping temperature has been achieved, the thermal pallet preserves that temperature within its environment. Depending on the type of thermal pallet used and the shipping conditions expected, a thermal pallet provides a secondary defense for maintaining temperature that can last hours or even days against significant temperature variation.
If you’re shipping temperature-sensitive products and want to know the best way to get those products to their destination safely, we can help. Contact us today to explain your shipping needs and obtain a quote.
