To understand why precision is so vital in temperature-controlled transport, it is best to first set out what temperature-controlled transport is used for. Certain goods require a very specific temperature range that must be maintained during transportation. This makes vehicles with sensitive refrigeration systems a must for such sensitive cargo. Some examples of such cargo include: vaccines, medicines, blood samples and organs; plants and flowers; perishable foods and cosmetics. Sometimes goods must be kept frozen and for other goods a cool, but unfrozen state is called for. Shipping of such cargo is often referred to as cold chain logistics, or supply.
With a bit of background information it is easy to see how precision might be a vital component of temperature-controlled transport.
Any organisation putting their precious cargo in the hands of a cold chain logistics transportation company is trusting that company to handle their goods with the necessary care. For them to have such trust it is imperative that the lorries are fitted with sophisticated refrigeration systems that are capable of being fine-tuned to some very specific temperature ranges.
Many products require stable temperatures in order to maintain their integrity and as a result, their shelf-life. Without the assurance of precise temperature regulation there would be no chance any organisation would entrust their precious cargo in the hands of a haulage company. In order to provide such stability requires a deeper understanding than you’d imagine. Such cold chain logistics needs to consider how different products and materials behave, how temperature changes occur and how to mitigate against them to provide stable temperatures from pick-up to delivery.
Of course, trust, stability and integrity which we have looked at thus far are all also bound up in the notion of precision, vital cogs in the wheel, but to focus directly on why precision matters is important. The mistake that many people would make is to assume that this mostly impacts frozen or cold produce. In the cosmetics industry, certain chemicals and compounds will separate and pharmaceuticals can degrade with minor temperature fluctuations. In the cosmetic sector goods are usually required to be shipped in controlled ambient temperatures, which sit between 13 and 24 degrees Celsius. In terms of categories in temperature-controlled transport there are:
Some examples of how a lack of precision can be fatal for a shipment include seafood, which if transported at 5 degrees instead of 2 degrees will spoil almost twice as quickly and pharmaceuticals such as insulin, which require ranges of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius and can become less effective if the temperature deviates from this range for even a short time.
