Not every shipment a business makes will have so much product that it will require engaging the services of a truck to fill the trailer with nothing but the product. It’s pretty normal for batches of a product to be small enough that only a few pallets are required, which means that when it goes on the truck, it’s LTL, or “less than truckload.” This isn’t an issue for many products, and LTL shipping is a cost-effective solution. However, some types of cargo, like fruit, vegetables, chocolate, wine, and even pharmaceuticals, rely on the temperature being maintained at a constant, ideal level to retain their quality, efficacy, or usability. If the temperature drops too low, this can compromise the product, which is why passive protection from freezing can be important.
Reducing Needless Expense
If you’re using LTL shipping, and the other products in the truck don’t require LTL protection from freezing, then the conventional solution, while workable, is not cost-effective. This requires you to pay for a reefer unit, that is, a refrigerated truck trailer, to keep your small shipment at the required temperature during transport. This negates the savings you’d earn from LTL shipping if you resort to added heating expenses during the winter or cooling during the summer.
But if you need LTL protection from freezing or heating for your shipments, there is a solution that doesn’t require the extra expense of active environmental systems. Thermal pallet protection, such as blankets and liners, are cover systems that can be wrapped around pallets to preserve the original, ideal storage temperature. With proper packing, these thermal pallet systems can provide LTL protection from freezing and heating without affecting the cargo with no temperature requirements.
Perhaps most importantly, this type of passive LTL protection from freezing is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. These systems don’t require electrical power or emit heat or greenhouse gases as waste byproducts. They are also reusable, meaning they can continue to provide passive temperature protection with care.
This also means that the passive nature of this protection is constant. If your cargo experiences a delay, such as being left on the tarmac awaiting transfer to a plane, but the plane has been delayed due to the weather, the sudden exposure to outside elements will not affect the cargo because the temperature is being maintained passively and internally, not requiring an active, external source.
If you’d like to ensure your business shipping goes smoothly and enjoy more efficient temperature-controlled shipping, we can help. Contact Protek Cargo with your questions and get a quote.
