If you are in the business of selling or buying perishable products, one of your challenges is logistics. Perishable products have a short life span. Therefore, they have to reach their intended market on time. Refrigerated transport companies help you extend the product life cycle of your products by transporting them in refrigerated trucks. In the article below, you will learn the considerations to make when hiring a refrigerated transport company. 

Company Specialisation

Refrigerated transport companies specialise in various products. As such, it would be worthwhile to assess the company's speciality before engaging their services. Ideally, consider companies that deal with your products. Perishables have varying transportation temperatures and life cycles. Therefore, dealing with a company that transports similar products is a guarantee that the company has the technical know-how of transporting your products. Besides, you will prevent product contamination during transport. You should also assess the company's routes. Go for a company that transports products within your area of operation. It is a sure way to save on transport costs. 

The Ability Of The Company To Understand Your Business Needs

The refrigerated transport company should assess your operations and customise their services to suit your needs. For instance, if you run a small business, the company should organise less than truckload (LTL) transportation. In this case, the company will transport your products alongside other similar products. Some companies will go the extra mile and use refrigerated trucks with varying temperature zones to keep your products fresh throughout. If your business requires storage space before customers pick their orders, the company should organise cold storage facilities. Besides, they should offer last-mile delivery to customers who cannot pick their orders at the designated areas. 

The Company's Cold Chain Protocol

How will the company ensure that products arrive fresh to the market? Product handling at the source can significantly influence their freshness. For example, the products should be sorted to remove damaged items and contaminants. The refrigerated truck should be disinfected before products are loaded. The transport crew should monitor the temperatures throughout transport and adjust them appropriately. They should also keep proper documentation from the point of origin to the destination. 

Level Of Customer Service

The company must have a responsive customer care department. Typically, they should be responsive to all your inquiries. Additionally, they should give regular updates on the location and temperatures of your products. Assess the company's dispute resolution mechanism. Typically, it should be straightforward and focused towards maintaining customer relationships. 

When choosing a refrigerated transport company, assess their specialisation, ability to understand your business needs, cold chain protocol, and level of customer service. 

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