In an effort to fight foodborne diseases, the federal government is slowing enacting a set of regulations that demand that carriers and their shipping partners pay more attention to the temperature of their cargo, especially when that cargo is food. Whether it’s frozen foods, refrigerated meat, produce, or beverages like soft drinks and wine, temperature control, and management is essential to keeping the products safe to eat for as long as possible.
In a perfect world, a reefer van never malfunctions and always operates at peak efficiency, keeping the interior cool (or warm on freezing winter days) 24/7 for as long as it takes to reach its destination. In a mostly perfect world, the refrigeration unit always breaks in a way that alerts the driver right away and always happens in such a way that the driver can pull over and fix the unit within minutes.
However, we don’t live in a perfect or nearly perfect world. All in all, reefer units are reliable and can work for many years and many runs with routine servicing to keep them from breaking down at bad times and places. But every once in a while a refrigeration module will stop working entirely, and either the driver won’t be able to pull over to work on the unit or the driver won’t have the replacement parts it takes to make the thing start working again. And even if that’s not the case, the repairs could take long enough for the cargo to warm up to an unsafe temperature.
That’s why it helps to maintain some insurance, but then there’s more than one kind of insurance. Losing a shipment to heat is bad news even when it’s fully insured, but then you could also carry the kind of insurance that helps you protect the cargo until the reefer starts working or you can transfer the cargo to a different trailer.
At Protek Cargo, we make SureTemp Cargo Blankets that insulate loads against heat spikes in summer and freezing temperatures in winter. Our heavy-duty blankets combine aluminum, woven polyurethane, and hollow fibers to protect cargo from the effects of heat, and while they don’t replace a reefer unit entirely, they can help with some temperature-sensitive cargo and keep cargo cold in a broken reefer for longer. They also fold up into a small package, which means it’s no trouble keeping a blanket on hand for emergencies even when you have a full load.
With a SureTemp blanket either purchased or on a long-term lease, you can ensure your perishable cargo against reefer malfunctions without having to worry about rate hikes. You might not get as much use out of it in a reefer van as you would in a dry van, but when you really need it, you’ll be glad it’s there.
