Beverage shipping means taking extra precautions for people in logistics. Depending on the type of packaging, Beverages can be either extremely sturdy or fragile. There’s a world of difference, for example, between shipping cases of beer in cans and shipping wine in winter in glass bottles. One is much more durable and requires less in the way of physical protection.
However, one critical factor that logistics must take into account, especially in winter, is unexpected beverage shipping delays. A few circumstances can lead to this, such as:
Weather
This is a common and uncontrollable factor, as no one can make the weather exactly what they want. Sometimes, snow storms can be so severe that even trains are not recommended to travel. When this happens, the carefully coordinated logistics chain can be broken, which can mean a shipment that was due for transfer at a specific time must wait even longer before the logistics chain can resume. Sometimes, normal shipping can start up again once the storm is over. Other times, the storm causes so much damage that there’s a delay while restoration occurs to key infrastructure.
Accidents
Another more frequent occurrence during winter months is accidents. Winter conditions typically increase the chances of auto accidents in various ways. Storms, for example, may not necessarily bring high winds, but if the snowfall is substantial, decreased visibility can lead to collisions that may have otherwise been avoided.
However, a more common cause of accidents is ice. Some drivers don’t react correctly to the loss of traction icy roads bring, either failing to act early enough with braking and steering to compensate for ice or overreacting to regain control when a loss of traction occurs.
Environmental Risks
Delays can pose a significant risk of damage when beverage shipping in winter or other beverages for one simple reason: temperature. Winter naturally puts all fluids at risk because the outdoor temperature can go below the freezing point for beverages. If that happens, depending on the type of container a beverage is in, the freezing of the beverage can result in the container breaking as the ice expands, an ever-present risk with glass containers like bottles.
The other issue is that some beverages will have their flavor affected by the freezing process. Carbonated soft drinks, for example, can have their sweetness affected by the freezing and thawing process. Similarly, wine has some organic molecules changed by freezing which then carries over to when the beverage has been thawed, changing its flavor.
Take Precautions
While there is no way to predict when shipping delays will occur, leaving beverages exposed to the elements, there are ways to compensate for these circumstances. Beverages can retain their internal temperature even without the use of active environmental thermal systems when passive temperature systems are employed. Passive pallet covers, for example, can have the initial shipping temperature, even when a shipment is left sitting on tarmac, railyard, or just outside a warehouse, awaiting the next leg of the logistics chain.
Being proactive and having precautions in place means that even if the unexpected happens while beverage shipping in the winter, a delay only means a late delivery, not a ruined one.
